Without ablution (wudu), one can recite or read the Qur’an without touching it. However, one can read the Qur’an and its interpretation on the mobile phone without ablution.
It was among Our Prophet’s (peace be upon him) continuous practices to pray before going to bed and to recite the verses of praying such as the chapters of Ikhlas, Falaq and Nas. There are many hadiths regarding the issue in the hadith books. For instance, Hazrath Aisha narrates what Our Prophet (pbuh) used to do before going to bed as follows:
“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to put his palms together, blow upon them and then recite “qul huwallahu ahad”, “qul audhu bi rabbil falaq”, “qul audu bi rabbin nas”, after that rub his whole body with his palms beginning from his head and face to wherever he could touch. He used to repeat that that action three times.” (1)
Bara bin Adhib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated a hadith from Our Prophet (pbuh) as follows:
“When you go to bed, perform ablution as if you will perform prayers, then lie on your right side and pray as follows: ‘O Allah, I surrendered my soul to You. And I assigned my tasks to You. Since I love you and I fear You, I leant my back against You. I take refuge only in You. I believed in the Book You revealed and the Messenger You sent.’ If you die that night, you die as a Muslim and as a believer. The last words you say should be as I stated.” (2)
As it is seen from both hadiths, these prayers are recited after going to bed. In the first hadith, when Our Prophet is told to rub his blessed body by reciting the chapters of prayers while sitting. In the other hadith, it is understood that after lying in bed, he used to recite them. Therefore, it is permissible to recite both before lying, and after lying in bed.
In the book “al-Fatawa’l-Hindiyya”, the following sentences regarding the issue are written: “There is no drawback in lying on one’s side when reciting the Qur’an. However, in the meantime, one should stretch his/her legs but should bend them. There is no drawback in reciting a chapter or a verse from the Qur’an, either. However, in the meantime, one should not cover his/her head with the blanket. The blanket takes the place of the dress. If it is not applied as mentioned, it is not permissible to recite it.” (3)
(1). Tirmizi, Dua: 21.
(2). Muslim, Zikr: 56.
(3). Al-Fatawa’l-Hindiyya, 5: 316.
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As spirit is eternal, spirits of all animals will stay eternally in a world exclusive to them. Prophet Solomon’s hoopoe and the Seven Sleepers’ dog, named Qitmir, will enter Heaven together with both their spirits and bodies.
The spirits of other animals will enter Heaven, too. And moreover, it is stated that each creature in Heaven will have a body which they will use from time to time. Only Allah knows how their lives in Heaven will be and where and how they will stay. Our perception is incapable of the real essence of the Hereafter.
What will be the situation of animals in Hereafter?
Which animals will enter Heaven?
The following information on this issue is narrated in the book titled Mishkatu’l Anwar by Imam Muqatil:
These ten animals will enter Heaven:
1. Prophet Abraham’s calf.
2. The ram slaughtered instead of prophet Ismail.
3. The camel which was a miracle of Prophet Saleh.
4. The fish which swallowed Prophet Jonah.
5. Prophet Moses’ cow.
6. Prophet Uzair’s donkey.
7. Prophet Solomon’s ant.
8. Bilqis’s hoopoe bird.
9. Seven Sleepers’ dog named Qitmir.
10. Our Prophet’s camel named Qaswa. 1
In addition, Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, in his work named Munajat which is “The Third Ray”, says:
“Yes, the true friend of the Eternal One should be eternal, and the conscious mirror of the Enduring One should be enduring.
It is understood from sound narrations that the spirits of animals will live eternally, and that certain individual animals, like the Hudhud (Hoopoe) of Solomon (PUH) and his ant, Salih’s (PUH) she-camel, and the dog of the Companions of the Cave, will go to the eternal realm with both their spirits and their bodies, and that each species will have a single body that may be utilized from time to time. This is also demanded by wisdom and reality, and mercy and dominicality.” 2
That is to say; since souls will stay eternal, souls of all animals will stay eternal, too. However, like these animals which will enter Heaven, some special beings will go to the eternal realm with both their spirits and bodies. Moreover, it is stated that each species will have a single body that they will use from time to time.
Yes, though there are different narrations on the issue, the main ones of the animals to enter Heaven are those we have mentioned above. Only Allah knows how their lives in Heaven will be and where and how they will stay. Our perception is incapable of the real essence of the Hereafter.
1. Durratu’n Nasihin, p. 57.
2. The Rays, p. 45.
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Firstly, marrige without the intention to live together in their whole life, but just because to satisfy their sexual desire is not acceptable in Islam.
Solemnize a marriage by an Imam is not an obligation. It can be performed by someone else who is a sensible man.
Nikah is a contract, an arrangement and a marriage agreement. Therefore it requires some conditions. If one of these conditions doesn’t accrue then the nikah is invalid;
1. Ones who are going to marry or their agents must be present.
2. The declaration of the acceptance of the parts. The spouses must declare their acceptances of marriage by saying “I accept”.
3. Nikah must be announced, not be kept secret. This condition is according to some of the sects.
4. The permission of the parent of the girl. This rule is according to all sects but Hanefi sect.
5. Testifiers must be present. Such testifiers must be whether two males or one male two females who are sensible and at least in their adolescence. So there must be at least one male testifier.
According to the Hanafi school, if a dog touches one's clothes, one can perform prayers with those clothes on. Only, the saliva and the feces of the dog are najis (unclean).
There are hadiths (sayings of the Prophet) such as: “The angels of mercy do not enter those houses where there is a dog; certain merits for good deeds of the owner of such a house decrease each day; however, for such needs as hunting, looking after herds and guarding it is permitted to keep a dog.” Besides, as their saliva and hairs spread everywhere, it is possible for them to harm our prayers and health. For this reason, it is not right to keep a dog at home if there is no need. It is not forbidden to keep a dog at home even if there is no need, but it is lightly makrooh (abominable, though not forbidden).
On the other hand, one can live in a house where there is a dog, and the prayers and other religious activities performed are also valid, provided that the place or the rug where the prayer is done is clean.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) says: “A certain portion is decreased out of the merits (of good deeds) of a person who keeps dogs other than dogs of hunting, field, garden and herd.” (Bukhari, Zabaih, 6; Muslim, Musaqat, 46, 50, 56-58)
When the hadiths that inform that angels do not enter the houses where there is a dog, are taken into consideration, it is forbidden in Islam to keep dog in houses without such needs as security or hunting. This is because;
a) The poor and the needy are in more need of the care and expenses of those who have enough opportunities to keep a dog.
b) According to the established medical researches, there are many illnesses caused by dogs infecting humans.
c) Dogs scare and pester those passing by and guests. (Günlük Hayatımızda Helaller ve Haramlar, Hayreddin Karaman, İz Publishing)
The reason why angels do not enter houses with dogs is that they stink and eat unclean things. For this reason, the person who keeps a dog without any need is punished with being deprived of angels' presence at his/her house. (Nawawi, Sharhu'l-Muslim, Cairo 1347-49/1929-30, XIV, 84; Ayni, Umdatu'l-Qari, Cairo 1348, XV, 139)
What is essential in the Hanafi school is that dog itself is not unclean, as it is made use of in security and hunting. Pig, though, is unclean on its own. Pig is meant in the verse, in the Qur'an: “It is unclean.”
Only, the saliva and the feces of dog are najis (unclean). Other parts of its body are not compared to those. If it puts its mouth into a pot, the pot is washed for seven times. The Prophet said: “If a dog drinks from the cup of one of you, let him/her wash it for seven times.” In the hadith books of Ahmad and Muslim: “The cleaning for one of your cups in which a dog put its mouth is by washing it for seven times, the first of which is done with earth.” (Ahmad, Bukhari, Muslim)
According to the school of Maliki, whether it is the dog which is permitted to be kept such as for guarding and herds, or any dog, it is absolutely clean. Only, if it puts its mouth into something, according to the most known view, it is washed for seven times as a religious act. If it puts its foot or its tongue without moving it, or if its saliva falls in, there is no need to wash it.
According to the Shafii and the Hanbali schools, dogs, pigs and those born of them, their leftovers and feces are unclean. The things polluted with those are cleaned for seven times, one of them being with earth. Based on the previous hadith, given the uncleanness of its mouth, the remaining parts are already unclean, because the mouth is actually the cleanest part of it, as respiration takes place. (See İslam Fıkhı Ansiklopedisi, Prof. Dr. Vehbe Zuhayli)
We could not find any information about the similarity of the word “amun” and the word “amen”. Even if they are the same, since every community was sent a prophet and the expressions those Prophets used at the end of their prayers were the same, there could be similarity because of that. That is the evidence that every community was sent a Prophet. Although the religions have been distorted, some true remainders of them may continue in the cultures.
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AMEN
The word said after prayers having the meaning “so be it”, “accept our prayers”, “it is extremely true”. It is especially said after the Fatiha in prayers. It is one of the words accepted as verbal-noun verbs in Arabic. The word is considered to be in Hebrew. Because, Jews and Christians who use that word as “amen” express that word originates from the Syriac word “Amin”. Although that word is recited in prayers, it is known that it does not take place in Qur’an. The Prophet (pbuh) has especially commended to say “amen” after the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha. As follows: “You, say “amen” after the prayer- leader finishes the Fatiha and says amen. If a person’s saying “amen” at that time coincides with the angels’ saying “amen”, his previous sins are forgiven.” (Muslim, K. Salat, 72; Abu Dawud, Salat, 167-168; Tirmidhi, Mawakit as-Salat, 116).
According to those hadiths, saying “amen” after Al- Fatiha in prayers is a sunnah (acts and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)). According to Imam A’zam, it is sunnah for the prayer-leader and the congregation to recite “amen” silently; and according to Imam Shafi’ and Ahmad b. Hanbal, it is a Sunnah to say it loudly with the prayer-leader. (Translation and Explanation of Sunan Abu Dawud, Istanbul, 1988, III, 470-474).
Ahmed AĞIRAKÇA
Saying “Amen” after the recitation of Al-Fatiha
Should the congregation say “Amen” silently or loudly after the prayer-leader recites the Al-Fatiha?
What are the practices of the Messenger of Allah in that issue? Can you explain it by evidences since there are a lot of people asking for evidences?
We do not know a narration like that. If there is, it should be understood as follows: To read the Quran gives the spirit a fine beauty, and that beauty may appear on a person’s face. As a matter of fact, those who perform prayers have a luminous face. It adds to that person’s beauty. It is necessary to understand it like that.
The origin of every river is in a different place. However, all water bodies and rivers come from Allah's treasure of mercy. As a matter of fact, it is narrated that some rivers come from Paradise.
The number of the rivers coming from Paradise is mentioned as three in some narrations and four and five in others. For instance, while explaining the sentence “For among rocks there are some from which rivers gush forth” in verse 74 of the chapter of al-Baqara in his book called Sözler (Words), Badiuzzaman Said Nursi attracts attention to the rivers like the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates and quotes the hadith “The source of each of those three rivers is in Paradise.” In most of the hadith books including Muslim, four rivers that come from Paradise are mentioned. The hadith is as follows:
“The Sayhan, Jayhan, Euphrates and Nile are all among the rivers of Paradise.”1
The translation of the same hadith reported by Abu Hurayra is as follows in Musnad:
“Four rivers gush forth from Paradise: the Euphrates, the Nile, the Sayhan, and the Jayhan.”2
Fakhrddin ar-Razi quotes the following narration from Ibn Abbas in the explanation of verse 20 of the chapter of al-Muminun:
“Allah Almighty sent down five rivers from Paradise: the Sayhun, Jayhun, Tigris, Euphrates and Nile.”3
In the “Isra” hadith in Bukhari, when the Prophet (pbuh) and Jibril travel on the Night of Miraj (Ascension), they arrive at Sidratul-Muntaha (the lote tree at the utmost boundary); Jibril states the following:
“This is Sidratul-Muntaha. Four river were emerging from the bottom of this tree. Two rivers were visible and two were invisible." The Messenger of Allah asked,
‘O Jibril! What are those four rivers?’ Jibril said,
‘The invisible rivers are two rivers in Paradise; the visible rivers are the rivers of the Nile and Euphrates.”4
The result obtained from the apparent meanings of those hadiths is as follows: The rivers the Euphrates, Tigris, Sayhan, Jayhan and Nile come from Paradise; their real source is there.
Badiuzzaman Said Nursi makes the best explanation about those rivers coming from Paradise:
“It is certainly not possible that the mountains could be the actual source of such mighty rivers. For let us suppose the water was cut completely and the mountains each became a conical reservoir, they would only persist a few months before losing the balance to the swift and abundant flow of those large rivers. And the rain, which penetrates only about a meter into the earth, would not be sufficient income for that high expenditure. This means that the springs of these rivers are not something ordinary and natural arising from chance, but that the All-Glorious Creator makes them flow forth from an unseen treasury in truly marvelous fashion.Thus, alluding to this mystery and stating this meaning, it is narrated in a Hadith: “Each of those three rivers is a drop from Paradise which continuously issues forth from Paradise, as a result of which they are sources of abundance.”5
Yes, it is obvious and clear that all of those estuaries, springs, streams and big rivers, whose benefits, duties and flows are full of wisdom, emerge from Allah Almighty’s treasury of mercy. For, those rivers are beyond the apparent reasons:
"That is, they transcend by far apparent causes, and flow forth instead from the treasury of a non-material Paradise, from the superabundance of an unseen and inexhaustible source. For example, the blessed Nile, that turns the sandy land of Egypt into a paradise, flows from the Mountains of the Moon in the south without ever being exhausted, as if it were a small sea. If the water that flowed down the river in six months were gathered together in the form of a mountain and then frozen, it would be larger than those mountains. But the place in the mountains where the water is lodged and stored is less than a sixth of their mass. As for the water that replenishes the river, the rain that enters the reservoir of the river is very sparse in that torrid region and is quickly swallowed up by the thirsty soil; hence it is incapable of maintaining the equilibrium of the river. A tradition has thus grown up that the blessed Nile springs, in miraculous fashion, from an unseen Paradise.”6
References:
1. Muslim, Jannah:26.
2. Musnad, 2:261, 289, 440.
3. Futuhul-Ghayb, 23:89.
4. Sahih Bukhari Tajrid Sarikh translation,10:71,
5. Sözler (Words), Yirminci Söz (Twentieth Word), p. 260.
6. Şualar (Rays), p. 94.
It is permissible for a Muslim woman to work as a midwife. She can work as a midwife in a hospital, village clinic or health care center as long as she obeys the rules of Islamic dress. (Tasattur)
It is not forbidden to copy or load one sample without the intention of trade in religion. However, if it is prohibited according to their law, one should comply with them. For this reason, we do not advise copying .
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani says that scholars agree that treatment through ruqyah (reciting or writing prayers) is permissible as long as the following three conditions are met:
a) It must consists of verses from the Quran, the names or attributes of the Exalted Allah;
b) It must be written in Arabic or another language legibly and understandably;
c) It must be believed that the ruqyah itself cannot cure but the cure is sent by Allah (Fathul-Bari, X, 206).
Ruqyah is divided into three as mubah (permissible), haram (prohibited) and shirk (associating partners to Allah).
1- Ruqyah that is mubah: If it consists of verses from the Quran, the names or attributes of the Exalted Allah and if it is in Arabic and understandable, it is mubah. In a hadith reported by Hazrat Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her), the following is stated: "Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) recited al-Muawwizatain (chapters al-Falaq and an-Nas) and then blew onto his body. During his last illness, when his illness became more serious, I recited them and blew onto his body and rubbed my hand on his body for abundance." (Bukhari, Tib, 32; Muslim, Salam, 51-52).
Hazrat Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) also said the following while mentioning the illness of the Prophet: "When Allah’s Messenger (pbuh), became ill, he recited al-Ikhlas and al-Muawwizatain and then blew into his palms the he rubbed with his hands his face and any part of his body that he could reach." (Bukhari, Tib, 39).
There is a hadith reporting that ruqyah was carried out through chapter al-Baqara against scorpion sting. (Bukhar, Tib, 33). It was also reported that Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) recited al-Muawwizatain and rubbed the patients with his right hand and said the following, "O the Lord of people, O Allah! Free him from his disease; cure him. Only you can cure. There is no cure other than yours. Cure him removing his illness." (Bukhari, Tib, 37).
There are many hadiths reported about the issue. Some scholars concluded that ruqyah was not permissible accept against the evil eye, snake bite and scorpion sting based on the following hadith of Allah’s Messenger (pbuh); "There is no ruqyah except the evil eye and the fever." (Bukhari, Tib, 17). However, some other scholars said that the hadith mentioned above meant ruqyah would be the most useful, as in the sentence, “There is no sword except Zulfiqar.” As it is seen, in other hadith Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) permitted ruqyah for other things.
2- Ruqyah that is haram: Unintelligible words, meaningless divided letters, unknown names, ruqyah in a language other than Arabic despite knowing Arabic, carrying out ruqyah bu using iron, salt or a rope are haram. The practices that are proved to be useful are excluded. The following is reported by Shabir:
"Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) prohibited carrying out ruqyah. The children of Amr ibn Hazm came and said: "O Messenger of Allah! We carried out a kind of ruqyah and got protected from scorpion stings through it.” The Messenger of Allah said, “Go on doing it, I do not see any harm in it. Whoever can help his brother should do so." (Muslim, Salam, 63) When al-Izz b. Abdussalam was aked about the ruqyah carried out by unknown letters, he did not permit it because it was not known whether those letters meant unbelief or not.
Yes, she can make one of your Muslim friend as her representative by writing a letter. And also the represantation can be made by telephone and telgraph as long as it is clear and obvious that who telephoned is the proxy giver or not.
Firstly, marrige without the intention to live together in their whole life, but just because to satisfy their sexual desire is not acceptable in Islam.
Solemnize a marriage by an Imam is not an obligation. It can be performed by a man who is sensible.
Nikah is a contract, an arrangement and a marriage agreement. Therefore it requires some conditions. If one of these conditions doesn’t accrue then the nikah is invalid;
1. Ones who are going to marry or their agents must be present.
2. The declaration of the acceptance of the parts. The spouses must declare their acceptances of marriage by saying “I accept”.
3. Nikah must be announced, not be kept secret. This condition is according to some of the sects.
4. The permission of the parent of the girl. This rule is according to all sects but Hanefi sect.
5. Testifiers must be present. Such testifiers must be whether two males or one male two females who are sensible and at least in their adolescence. So there must be at least one male testifier.
How does a nikah be solemnized? What is said and what prays are recited?
Nikah is performed as follows;
The person (an Imam or a sensible person) who is going to solemnize nikah firstly writes the name of the girl going to marry, for instance he writes “Fatima bint-i Ahmed”.
Then he writes the name of the agent of the girl, for example “Ali bin Zayd”.
Then he writes the names of the two testifiers.
Then he writes the name of the boy going to marry, for example “Omar bin Hussein”.
Then he writes the name of the agent of the boy, if the boy is not present.
Then he writes the amount of mahr-i mueccel (mahr paid in advance) and mahr-i muaccel (mahr paid on account) by asking both parts. (mahr: the money which is supposed to be given by the man as a right to the woman)
Then he seeks refuge in Allah and recites A’udhu-Bismillah (A’udhubillahiminasshaytanirrajimm- Bismillahirrahmanirrahim) and says; “Alhamdu lillahillezi zavvacal arvaha bil ashbah ve ahallannikaha ve harramessifah. Vassalatu vassalamu ala rasulena Muhammadinillezi bayyana-l-harame va-l-mubah ve ala Alihi va A
ashabi-hillezina hum ahlussalahi valfalah”.
Then he recites again A’udhu-Bismillah and reads 32nd verse of the Surah An- Nur (24th chapter of the Quran) and after he reads “Sadakallahuladhim”. Then he says; “Kale rasulallah, “An-nikahu sunneti faman ragiba an sünneti falaysa minni” sadaka Resulullah. ‘Bismillahi va ala sunnet-i rasulillah’”
Then he asks the agent of the girl;
“By the order of Allah and the sunnah of Rasulallah and the rule (ijtiha) of the Imam of our sect (Abu Hanife) and the testimony of present Muslims, do you agree, since you are the agent of the girl, to give Fatima bint-i Ahmad in marriage to Omar bin Hussein, who promise to give such amount of mahr-i mueccel and mahr-i muaccel?”
Then he reads the same pray by starting from (Bismillahi va ala) and asks the agent of the boy going to marry; “And since you are the agent of the boy going to marry, do you agree to take Fatima bint-i Ahmad in marriage to Omar bin Hussein by agreeing to give such amount of mahr-i mueccel and mahr-i muaccel?”
Three times the questions are asked to the parts and the answers are received from them. Then the prayer given below is recited;
(Allahummac’al hadhal akta maymunan mubarakan vacal beyna-huma ulfetan va mahabbeten va karara va la tac’al beyna-huma nafratan va fitnetan va ferara. Allahumma allif baynahuma kema allafta beyna Adama va Havva. Va kama allafta beyna Muhammadin va Khatica-tal-Kubra va Aişa -ta umm-il muminine . Va beyna Aliyyin va Fatima-taz-Zahra. Allahumma ati la-huma evladan salihan ve umran tavelan va rizkan vasian. Rabbena hab lana min azvacina va zurriyatina kurrata ayunin vac’alna lil muttekina imama. Rabbena atina fiddunya hasanatan va fil ahirati hasanatan va kina azabannar. Sabhana rabbika rabbilizzati amma yasifun va salamun alal mursaleen valhamdulillahi rabbilalameen al fatiha).
Therby performing nikah finishes.
For the answer please click on the links given below.
What are we going to encounter when we die?Could you give some information about the grave life?
What does ba’th (resurrection)?How will resurrection after death be?
It is not a sin to leave the food uncovered. However, the Prophet advised us to cover the food and drinks. It is nice to follow this advice but a person who does not act accordingly is not regarded to have committed a sin.
It is not appropriate to leave food and drinks uncovered because some living beings like flies, insects and ants, the foreign substances around and in the air can enter in them and they can go off quickly when they contact air. Therefore, it is among good manners to be careful and to cover the food and drinks.
When they are put in a fridge or cupboard, they are regarded to have been covered.
There are two hadith narrations regarding the issue:
"Cover the containers and tie the mouths of your water skins" (Bukhari, Ashriba, Bab 22, Bad´ul-Khalq: 11, 14, Isti´zan: 49, 50; Muslim, Ashriba: 96-99)
"When night falls (or when it is evening), stop your children from going out, for the devils spread out at that time. But when an hour of the night has passed, release them and close the doors and mention Allah's Name, for Satan does not open a closed door. Tie the mouth of your waterskin and mention Allah's Name; cover your containers and utensils and mention Allah's Name. Cover them even by placing something across it, and extinguish your lamps." (Bukhari, Ashriba, Bab 21, Hadith no: 47, 48)
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If the person gives it with the intention of zakat (obligatory alms) and if the place he gives it to is one of the places that zakat can be given to, then, the zakat is valid. If the country that the person who gives zakat lives in deduces it from the tax, you can definitely use it as tax deduction. You will receive the reward of zakat. However, we recommend those who have enough money to give money to charities and as zakat other than that.
Bridegroom’s family or relatives can eat food there. However it would be more proper for man and women to eat separately.
What does our religion say about raising domestic animals (cat, bird, fish...) at home?
We live in a beautiful world. It has every beauty from the birds gliding in the skies, to the fishes swimming under the deep seas; from the beautiful flowers smiling with their colors and smell, to the butterflies flying around; from the mountains reaching to the skies and containing beautiful trees inside, to the burbling streams, all together.
What does Quran tell about the birds of these beauties and boons?
“Do they not look at the birds, held poised in the midst of (the air and) the sky? Nothing holds them up but (the power of) Allah. Verily in this are signs for those who believe.”1
“Do you not see that Allah is He Whom do glorify all those who are in the heavens and the earth, and the (very) birds with expanded wings? He knows the prayer of each one and its glorification, and Allah is Cognizant of what they do.”2
Quran wants us to pay attention to the power holding the birds in the sky and commanding them. It tells that their movements and voices are not meaningless and uncontrolled and they all have a worship of their own style. Shortly each one of the billions of birds is a divine letter declaring the existence and uniqueness of Allah. The person who looks to the universe and the beauties within it with this eye reaches to the Creator who is Al-Lateef (The Subtly Kind) and Al-Jamil (The One who is beautiful).
Yes birds are a boon. A boon introducing us our Creator. A boon crying their dhikr (mentioning Allah) by their warbles. A boon presenting us views one more beautiful from the other with their colorful feathers, flights, and postures.
People who can’t make use of these boons much especially for the style of the urban life are having some birds like canary, nightingale, lovebird and parrot at their homes for their voices and appearances. There is not a torture here for these kinds of birds. Besides these birds have a structure which is suitable to live in a cage. They are not harmed because they are fed and looked after seriously.
Also an incident takes place lighting up this issue on the time of our prophet. Little brother of Anas Ibn Malik used to have a little bird. Once when Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) saw this little kid he asked him “What happened to the birdie?” 3. We understand from this that it is ok to have a bird.
But there is a point here we should pay attention to. Such that: love, curiosity or hobby of bird should not take the most of our day, it should not keep us away from our primary tasks, and it should not waste our time.
Same things apply to the aquarium. Watching each more beautiful from the other fishes’ swimming can remind us many divine meanings. Other sea animals apply to this category too.
Raising cat at home is permitted. Besides in some situations it may be a necessity too. Some scholars like Bediuzzaman say that their murmurs are a prayer like “O Rahim, O Rahim” (Most Merciful).
1 Surah (Chapter) of Nahl (The Bee), 79.
2 Surah of Nur (The Light), 41.
3 Ibn Maja, Adab: 2.
Mehmed Paksu, Aileye Özel Fetvalar (Juridical Decisions for Family)
Is there a drawback in raising dog? Can we raise dog in the garden?
There are some hadith (word of prophet Muhammad) stating that “angels of God’s mercy and grace do not enter the house with a dog in it, some rewards of that home owner that he won for his good deeds decrease everyday, but it is permissible raising a dog for the purpose of hunting, for the sheep, and as a guard”. Also it has a possibility to harm our health and worship (which requires cleanness) because dog saliva and hair may spread around. Therefore if there is not a necessity it is not proper to have a dog inside the house. Raising a dog at home when there is no necessity is not haram (forbidden) but slightly makruh (disliked or abominable acts). In the Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence) this is called “tanzehan makruh” (not close to haram (illicit) like tahreman makruh but better if avoided).
In addition to this we can live and worship in a house having dog. It is enough for the floor that we perform salah on, to be clean.
Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) says: “Some rewards of a dog raising person that he won for his good deeds decrease everyday except that it is for hunting, for the sheep, or as a guard for gardens or fields.” (Bukhari, Zabaih, 6; Muslim, Musakhat, 46,50,56-58)
And when the hadith that declaring angels not entering a home with a dog in it taken into consideration, raising dog at home without a necessity like protection or hunting is banned in Islam, because:
a) Poor and lonely people deserve the maintenance and spending of the people who can raise dog more.
b) According to definite medical information there are many contagious diseases passing from dogs to humans.
c) A dog may scare or disturb people near home or coming home. (Günlük Hayatımızda Helaller ve Haramlar (Halals and Harams in Our Daily Life), Hayreddin Karaman, İz Yayıncılık)
Not: We could not understood what actually you meant by the question "are there clothes clean for prayers?" Could you please explain it?
If your helping (alms/sadaqa) does not pose an obstacle for paying off your dept, then there is no harm. If you are paying off your dept by installments then you can still continue to give money to your old aged relatives. However you should give priority to your payee.
The name cannot be heavy for a person. Any name that has a nice meaning can be given to children. If you like that name, you can give it to the child.
If your helping (alms/sadaqa) does not pose an obstacle for paying off your dept, then there is no harm. If you are paying off your dept by installments then you can still continue to give money to your old aged relatives. However you should give priority to your payee.
We don't think that the Gospel According to Matthew was forbidden at the time of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him. For he did not have such a duty as to search which one of the Gospels was right. The so-called prohibition of Matthew might also have posed a contrast to the advices of the Qur'an, which commands discussing with Ahl al-Kitab (the People of the Book; followers of pre-Islamic monotheistic religions with some form of scripture of divine origin) with beautiful speech and elocution. Besides, we could not come across such information in the sources of verse and of healthy hadiths. There are narrations which explain the views of our Prophet about the People of the Book. According to a narration, Umar Ibn-i Khattab read from a book that he took from the People of the Book in the presence of the Prophet, and the Prophet got angry at him, and after warning about the danger of “Rejecting the truths told by the People of the Book, and accepting their mistakes.” the Prophet made a statement the meaning of which is: “If Moses lived today, he wouldn't have any other option than follow me.” However, the narrations about this subject are said to be weak. (see Majmau’z-zawaid, 1/174; 8/262)
The first day of the eid al-adha is called yawm an-nahr (day of sacrificing); the other two days are called ayyam at-tashriq (days of drying flesh). The day before the eid al-adha is called yawm al-arafa, which is the ninth day of Dhul-hijjah. There is no arafa in the eid al-fitr.
Beginning from the morning prayer of the day of arafa, to the afternoon prayer of the fourth day of the eid al-adha, the following takbir is uttered after 23 fard prayers:
اَللّهُاَكْبَرُاَللّهُاَكْبَرُلاااِلهَاِلاَّاللّهوَاللّهُاَكْبَرُاَللّهُاَكْبَرُوَلِلّهِالْحَمْدُ
Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar La ilaha Illallahu Wallahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar wa Lillahi'l-Hamd. They are called tashriq takbirs.
According to the majority of the fiqh scholars, tashriq takbirs are wajib for everybody who performs prayers. Some scholars say, they are sunnah.
A person who misses a prayer on the day of tashriq takbirs utters tashriq takbirs if he performs that prayer on tashriq days. If he performs it on another day, he does not utter tashriq takbirs after the prayer.
Women read tashriq takbirs silently.
TAKBIR OF TASHRIQ
Tashriq means to go to the east, to shine and to lay the meat under the sun.
Takbirs of tashriq are the takbirs that are uttered after the fard prayers on the eid al-adha. The first day of the eid al-adha is called "yawm an-nahr" (day of sacrifice); the other three days are called "ayyamu't-tashriq (days of tashriq)". The day before the eid is called “the day of Arafa”.
Beginning from the morning prayer on the day of Arafa to the afternoon prayer on the fourth day of the eid, "Allahu akbar Allahu akbar, La ilahe illallahu wallahu akbar. Allahu akbar wa lillahi'l-hamd" is uttered once after each fard prayer (twenty-three fard prayers); it is called “takbir of tashriq”; the meaning of it is as follows: "Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest. There is no god but Allah. He, Allah is the greatest, Allah is the greatest. Priase be to Allah". That form of takbir is reported from Hz. Ali and Abdullah b. Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with them).
The beginning of takbirs of tashriq dates back to the incident of Hz. Ibrahim sacrificing Hz Ismail, his son. Based on the sound dream he sees, Hz. Ibrahim (pbuh) decides to sacrifice his son for the sake of Allah. While he is preparing for the sacrifice, Allah sends a ram to be sacrificed instead of his son. When Gabriel (pbuh) reaches the sky of the world, he utters takbirs, “Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar” because he fears he will not be able to reach on time. When Ibrahim (pbuh) hears it, he looks up at the sky, sees Gabriel coming down with a ram, and utters, “There is no god but Allah. He, Allah is the greatest. Ismail (pbuh), who hears those words of takbir and tawhid and waiting to be sacrificed, says, “Allah is the greatest. Praise be to Allah." Thus, a great sunnah that will last until the Day of Judgment starts. (as-Saffat, 37/102, 107; Ismail" item; al-Mawsili, al-Ikhtiyar li Ta'lili'l-Mukhtar, Cairo (n.d), I, 87, 88).
According to Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad, takbirs are uttered after twenty-three fard prayers. Fatwa is issued based on their views. According to Abu Hanifa, takbirs of tashriq are uttered after eight fard prayers: beginning from the morning prayer on the day of Arafa to the afternoon prayer on the first day of the eid.
Takbirs of tashriq are wajib according to many fiqh scholars. As for others, it is sunnah to utter them. According to Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad, it is wajib for those who are obliged to perform fard prayers. There is no difference between a person who is praying alone and in congregation, a person living in the village and a person living in the city, man and woman regarding the issue. Takbirs of tashriq can be uttered in congregation or on one’s own. They can be uttered later if the prayers of those days are skipped and performed later. Men utter them loudly but women say them silently. takbirs are not uttered after the prayer of eid and the prayers of witr.
According to Abu Hanifa, takbirs of tashriq become wajib if the person is free, not traveling, and male and performs the fard prayer in congregation. Therefore, they are not wajib for a person who is traveling, a slave, female, performing the prayer alone. However, if they follow an imam and perform the prayer in congregation, they are to utter takbirs together with the congregation. Takbirs of tashriq are not uttered in small settlements where Friday and eid prayers are not performed; takbirs of tashriq are not wajib for the disabled people who perform the noon prayer in congregation on Friday.
If a prayer is skipped on the days of tashriq of a year and is performed on another tashriq day of the same year, takbirs of tashriq are uttered at the end of that prayer; however, if that prayer is performed on another day of the year or on a tashriq day of a different year, takbirs of tashriq are not uttered.
If sajdah as-sahw (prostration of forgetfulness), takbirs of tashriq and talbiya are to be performed at the end of the same prayer, first sajdah as-sahw is performed, then takbirs are uttered and then talbiya is uttered (for talbiya, see "Hajj" item).
It is not good to sleep from the time the sun rises to about forty-five minutes after it. What is essential is to go to bed early and to get up early.
It is necessary no to sleep after performing the morning prayer and to start work after reading the Quran, hadith, tafsir and ilm al-hal. Our Prophet (pbuh) said,
"There is blessing and success in the early hours of the morning."
It is necessary to try to get up before the time for the morning prayer starts, that is, at dawn. It is a blessing to get up at dawn. It is harmful in terms of sustenance also to sleep after the time for the morning prayer up to the time when the sun rises. The following is stated in a hadith:
“To sleep after the morning prayer prevents sustenance.” (Bayhaqi, al-Adab, 1/276; Sharani, Lawaqihul-Anwar, p. 295)
The reason for the increasing inefficiency and failure in recent times must be sought in the light of this hadith.
Unfortunately, television faces man as "the enemy of sleeping early". It is necessary to overcome this violent enemy, to go to bed as early as possible, to get up for tahajjud prayer, then to wake up vigorously for the morning prayer before the sunrise, and then to start work without going to bed again. Our grandfathers and grandmothers, whom we know to be fit, vigorous and hardworking, did like this. When this nice custom ceased to exist, health, abundance and peace disappeared.
Fard al-kifayah: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,
"Seeking knowledge is fard or every believing man and woman."(1)
Islamic scholars divide ilm (knowledge) into two as "fard al-ayn" and "fard al-kifayah" acting upon religious evidence. (2)
After classifying "fard al-ayn" and "fard al-kifayah" ilms, Ibn Abidin made the following determination:
Fard al-ayn is better than fard al-kifayah. For, fard al-ayn was rendered fard for the right of the soul. It is more important and difficult for the soul. Fard al-kifayah is not like that. It was rendered fard for the right of the public. If something becomes for public, it gets easier; if it becomes personal, it gets more difficult. Other scholars say fard al-kifayah is better. For, fulfilling fard al-kifayah saves the whole ummah. If it is abandoned, everybody who can do it becomes a sinner. It is definite that a fard that has this quality will be superior. However, according to the report of Tahtawi, the first view (that fard al-ayn is better) is regarded reliable."(3)
Imam Burhanuddin Az Zarnuji states the following:
"It is fard for every Muslim to learn the information/knowledge about the things that occur in his current state no matter what his situation is. For, it is obligatory for a Muslim to perform prayers. Therefore, it is fard for him to learn the knowledge about the conditions and parts of the prayer that will be enough for him to perform the fard prayers. Similarly, it is wajib for him to learn the knowledge that is necessary to perform fard deeds. For, it is fard to learn the knowledge that serves to fulfill fard and it is wajib to learn the knowledge that serves to fulfill wajib."(4)
Thus, he expressed an important subtlety. It is fard for every responsible Muslim to learn the knowledge about the things related to his state. For instance, the knowledge about zakah and hajj is not fard for a believer who is poor. However, if the same believer obtains property that is more than the amount of nisab, it becomes fard al-ayn for him to learn the knowledge about zakah. It is fard for the Muslims whose land is invaded or who are in minority to learn the decrees about congregation and jihad.
It is haram to learn ilms rendered haram by Shari’ah like magic, sorcery, fortune telling and, philosophy, and to drive people away from the line of oneness with them. However, it is permissible to learn them in order to prevent their harms.
It is fard to learn ilms that are fard al-ayn; it is also fard to act in accordance with them. The following glad tiding of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is clear:
"If a person acts in accordance with what he knows, Allah will teach him what he does not know."(5)
It is makruh to learn ilm in order to defeat one’s rivals in debates and arguments, and in order to satisfy one’s soul. It is not permissible to learn ilm with the motive of worldly greed and ambition.
When a person who has ilm is asked by a responsible Muslim, he cannot hide his ilm. It is certain that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,
"On the Day of Judgment, Allah will bridle a person who is asked something but who hides his knowledge with a bridle made of fire."(6)
According to Hanafis, it is mandub and mustahab to take a child who is abandoned. It is fard al-kifayah to take an abandoned child who risks death if he is left where he is and it is fard al-ayn to take him if only that person has seen him. According to the other three madhhabs, it fard al-kifayah to take an abandoned child and it is fard al-ayn to take an abandoned child who risks death. (7)
“Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong; they are the ones to attain felicity.” (Aal-i Imran, 3/104)
The verse above encumbers a responsibility on believers. This responsibility is to tell people by all means about the good and bad values determined by Allah Almighty Himself, or by the Prophet in accordance with His revelation or by people of certain qualities making use of these two resources. This duty is the most honorable and valuable duty of the world. If there had been a more valuable duty, Allah would have appointed His prophets, whom He created as distinguished slaves, to do it.
When tafsir scholars dealt with this verse in general, they insistently mentioned that this duty was fard al-kifayah in the religious sense. This decree, which was made acting upon the meaning of “some” of the preposition “min” in the word “minkum”, should make every believer think deeply. For, it is a fact accepted by everybody that the number of the people who are aware and conscious of this duty is very low. In addition, some tafsir scholars say that if there is no group that fulfills this responsibility encumbered by the verse, the duty of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil is fard al-ayn. This shows that the duty that is mentioned is included in the scope of individual responsibilities like prayers, fasting and zakah.
If a community does not bring up guides for conquest armies, mentors for artists, and businessmen and pioneers for all vital issues with its scholars, intellectuals and qualified staff, this community is paralyzed and it is unlucky in terms of future. Therefore, knowing the conditions that are necessary for the worldly affairs to run in a balanced way is regarded as “fard al-kifayah”; and a community in which they are left is regarded as a sinful community. Along with the purity of its conscience, depth of its knowledge and sincerity of its worshipping, a community, as Imam Ghazali puts it, needs to have masters, or in today’s understanding, experts in all jobs from shoemaking to textile, from farming to all branches of industry.
Therefore, a community whose individuals have not reached inner brightness and conscientious purity cannot be innocent; similarly, a community that cannot embrace everything from art to trade, from agriculture to military and the finest details of technology - by distribution of work - is not innocent.
Footnotes:
1. Al Ajluni-Kashful Khafa-Beirut: 1351-2, Vol: 2, p: 43, Had. No: 1665, also Imam Sarakhsi-Al Mabsut-Beirut: nd, Vol: 1, p: 2.
2. Ibn Abidin-Raddul Muhtar Alad Durri'l Mukhtar-İst: 1982, Şamil Publications. Vol: 1, p: 40
3. Ibn Abidin ibid, Vol: 1, p: 41 (Warning part).
4. Imam Burhanuddin Az Zarnuji-Ta'limul Mutaallim-İst: 1980, Çağrı Publications. p: 9.
5. Al Ajluni-Kashful Khafa-Beirut: 1351-2, Vol: 2, p: 265, Hd. No: 2542.
6. Sunani Abu Dawud-İst: 1401, Çağrı Publications. Vol: 4, p: 67-68, Hd. No: 3568.
7. Qasani, ibid, VI/198; Ibnul-Humam, ibid, VI/110; Ibn Qudama, al-Kafi, Beirut 1402/1982, II/363; Ibn Rushd, Bidayatul-Mujtahid, İstanbul 1985, II/259; Shirbini, ibid, II/418; M. Shaltut, al-Fatawa, Beirut 1403/1983. p. 219; Mustafa Shalabi, Ahkamul- Usra, Beirut 1397/1977, p. 709.
It is permissible to buy and use the products of non-Muslims. Therefore, a Muslim does not commit a haram deed if he buys Coca Cola, which belongs to non-Muslims.
Nevertheless, we can avoid drinking them but we cannot criticize those who drink them.
It is permissible to drink Nescafe, Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola.
However, some religious scholars say, "It is better not to drink them since it is doubtful." It is always better to avoid doubtful things. Some Hanafi scholars even said that it was haram to drink coffee. However, these kinds of fatwas were not accepted by the majority.
A Muslim is not regarded to have committed a haram deed when he drinks them. We cannot prohibit anybody from drinking them. It is not haram to drink them. However, we cannot force anyone who does not drink them to drink them.
As for the second part of the question,
If it is certain that a weapon or product is going to be used against Muslims, it is not permissible to work in the production of it and to buy and sell it. A Muslim who does so will be held responsible according to the rule "A person who causes something is like a person who does it". Therefore, a person will be held responsible if buys or sells something that is definitely known to be used against Muslims. Muslims should be careful about the issue.
What needs to be done and not to be done for Palestine:
No individual who has not lost his/her consciousness, good manners and humanity, no matter what his religion, language, sect, country is, can justify the founders and administrators of Israel regarding the cause of Palestine. There is an obvious grabbing, invasion, massacre and oppression there.
No conscientious person can criticize the Palestinians whose land, houses, vineyards, gardens, water and positions have been grabbed, who live in refugee camps that are worse than prisons, who were sent to prison and tortured, whose relatives were killed, who were destined to kill in the long run, when they resort to out-of-the-way defense methods; no conscientious person can see them as the cause of the biggest massacre and the most disgusting attacks of our times. The only cause for this oppression is Israel. It is Israel that uses the causes produced by themselves against Palestinians.
The cause of Palestine can be solved only through a just peace. The initial condition of it is to force Israel to accept this just peace. The way to it is as follows: Muslim countries should leave aside separation - through the pressure of the people - and act together; then, they should take necessary measures in time and properly.
As for the issue about what we can do for our Palestinian brothers, who underwent a big disaster, experienced unendurable pains and lost almost all of their belongings, and what we can do to relieve them:
We can divide what we can do into two as what not to do and what to do.
What not to do:
- Not to buy anything from the companies that are definitely known to support Israel. To continue this boycott until Israel accepts a just peace.
- The state should revise all of the agreements made with Israel; it should not make any new agreements with Israel and should annul or suspend the previous ones if possible.
- Not to break the commercial ties and human relations with the Jews that are not Zionists, that do not support Israel's unjust practices and that support those who favor justice so that justice will be done and oppression will end.
What to do:
- Everyone, whether poor or rich, should try to send financial aid as much as they can to Gaza through reliable ways. This aid is fard until the daily needs of our Palestinian brothers are met.
- It is time we did our best to help them as a requirement of being their religious and human brothers.
(Prof. Dr. Hayrettin KARAMAN)
His name is Waraqa b. Nawfal. Waraqa b. Nawfal was a Christian scholar and a relative of Hz. Khadijah. When revelation started to come to the Messenger of Allah, Hz. Khadijah went to Waraqa to find out what was happening. Waraqa said to her,
“O Khadijah! Muhammad (pbuh) is an honest person. What he saw is what is necessary to be seen at the beginning of prophethood. The being that came to him is Jibril (Gabriel). He also went to Hz. Musa (Moses) and Hz. Isa (Jesus). He will be a prophet soon. If I live long enough to see those days, I will believe in him and support him.”
When a person accepts an invitation, goes to a wedding reception and sees that a sin like drinking alcohol is committed there, it will be a sin for him to stay there if alcohol is drunk at the table that he sits; it is a sin for an Islamic scholar or a righteous person who is regarded as a model for Muslims to stay there.
If there is no alcoholic drink at the table a Muslim sits and if he is not regarded as a model for Muslims it is permissible for him to stay there (1).
According to Shafiis, it is definitely haram and not permissible to stay there for a Muslim if an illegitimate deed is committed there (2).
If there is no illegitimate deed at the wedding dinner or reception, it sunnah to go there when a person is invited according to Hanafis (3), it is wajib according to Shafiis if a person has no excuse (4).
Footnotes:
1. al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, V/343.
2. Ianatu'l-Talibin, 3/361.
3. al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, V/343.
4. Ianatu'l-Talibin, III/358.
(see Halil GÜNENÇ, Günümüz Meselelerine Fetvalar, II/242)
A whole day is a day with the night and daytime. Every night belongs to the day that comes after it. Therefore, a whole day starts in the evening and continues up to the evening of the following day.
For instance, "Friday night" is the night connecting Thursday with Friday. Similarly, the night of arafah is the night before the day of arafah. The other holy nights are also determined based on this criterion.
If you use the internet after fulfilling your duties and if the employer allows you to use it, it is permissible and no violation of rights is in question. If you have not been told anything about it, you should inform the employer about it and pay for the internet you use if it is necessary.
There is no such obligation. A new Muslim can use his previous name. It is permissible to use the names whose meanings are nice in different languages. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) changed the names that were not appropriate in terms of Islam. It is sunnah.
However, the Prophet (pbuh) did not want those who became Muslims to change their names and those who were non-Arabs to replace their names with Arabic names. He ordered the names to be given to have nice meanings.
He changed some names because their meanings were bad; he also changed some names with nice meanings because they would assume a different meaning when used negatively or because they would affect the owners of the names badly.
RISALE-I NUR COLLECTION is an original work with its language and content as well as its written style and arrangement. This work, which was generally written on the mountains, in the countryside or under the deadly conditions of dungeons, deals with the heaviest, deepest and most ambiguous issues, the most difficult questions related to ilm, and presents solutions to the problems that have been discussed for centuries, in a way that cannot be expected under those circumstances; in addition, it does all of them in a style and method peculiar to it.
Risale-i Nur has commonly been described as “a contemporary tafsir”. This description reflects a fact since it is directly based on the Quran and it explains some verses of the Quran related to belief in a detailed way.
However, Risale-i Nur differs from ordinary tafsir books in terms of its arrangement and style of explanation; some parts of the Collection (NineteenthLetter, Twenty-Ninth Flash, Nineteenth Word, addendums in general and defenses, etc.) include works that can be studied in other branches of science. For instance, it is understood at first sight that İşârâtü’l-İ’câz and Sünuhat are not books that can be classified in the same way.
Another aspect of Risale-i Nur that is as important as tafsir is related to the science of kalam. It might be more appropriate to deal with the majority of the Collection within the science of kalam. In the remaining parts including addendums, issues related to the methods of service are in majority.
When Risale-i Nur is compared to the works on the history of kalam and classical kalam books, it will not be difficult to see that it developed a brand-new style in this field and marked a new epoch. Besides, the writer of Risale-i Nur mentions this issue clearly in various places in his works.
Risale-i Nur attracted the attention of many people with its style of dealing with issues, its depth in its content and its comprehensiveness. On the one hand, it has been read by various layers of people in Turkey and abroad; on the other hand, international symposiums have been held about it and it has been the topic of many academic articles and theses.
For instance, Prof. Dr. Taha Abdurrahman of Morocco, one of the contemporary thinkers, mentions the great revolution Risale-i Nur made in the world of thought; he attracts attention to the fact that this aspect of Risale-i Nur is remarkable along with its other aspects:
"Some Western philosophers put the intellect in the center of everything; and they relied on only the things that are the products of the intellect. They even went so far regarding the issue that they brought a definition for the heavenly books such as the Bible and the Quran and the religions they represented in the intellectual system by including them among other things based on the intellect. That is, they regarded the mind as something fixed and made the celestial books and religions go round it just as old people thought that the world was fixed and that the sun went round it.
"Badiuzzaman Said Nursi changed this trend in the world of thought and put it in the course where it needed to be with Risale-i Nur - just as Copernicus did in the world of science. Copernicus refuted the old view that the world was fixed and the sun went round it; instead, he proved that the world turned around its own axis and around the sun. Badiuzzaman Said made a similar revolution in the world of thought with Risale-i Nur. He said, "Man’s world of thought cannot be fixed; the world of thought turns around its own axis and around the sun of Revelation." Thus, He determined the real place where human thought should be, and illuminated and relieved the mind by saving it from loneliness and darkness."
In addition, Risale-i Nur addresses the heart, soul and all other senses as well as the mind since it is a Quranic tafsir. It sheds light on all dimensions of ethics and offers solutions for many social problems. However, the best way to understand its many other virtues similar to this one is to open it, read it and live it.
What kind of a tafsir is Risale-i Nur?
Tafsirs are divided into two. The first ones are the tafsirs that explain the phrases, words and sentences of the Quran, explain and prove.The second ones explain the truths of the Quran related to belief with strong evidence, prove and explain. This part is very important. The tafsirs in the first group sometimes deal with this part in summary. However, Risale-i Nur is a spiritual tafsir that is based on this second part and that silences stubborn philosophers incomparably.
Risale-i Nur is a collection that explains the truths of the Quran, which is our holy book and which has been a guide for millions of people in every century, in a rational and objective way, away from subjective theories and views; and it presents them to humanity so that they will benefit from them.
Risale-i Nur is a luminous tafsir of the verses of the Quran.It is full of the proven truths of belief and oneness. It was prepared based on the understanding of all layers of people and is equipped with exact sciences.
Risale-i Nur answers the needs of this age fully.It satisfies the mind and the heart. It convinces scrupulous sceptics. It forces even the most stubborn philosophers to surrender. Risale-i Nur eliminates all of the questions that come to mind. It explains the levels of belief from atoms to the sun. It proves the divine oneness and the truth of prophethood.
Risale-i Nur proves all of the issues that can come to mind related to belief mentally, scientifically and logically with definite evidencesfrom the layers of the earth and skies, angels and spirits, the reality of time, the occurrence of the resurrection and the hereafter, the nature of death to the source of eternal bliss and destruction. It supports positive sciences. It convinces the mind and heart with definite evidences and eliminates doubts.
Once, the great Turkish poet Mehmed Akif stated the following in a literary meeting: "Victor Hugo, Shakespeare, Descartes, etc. can only be Said Nursi’s students in literature and philosophy."
When Badiuzzaman Said Nursi saves people from debauchery and deviation with Risale-i Nur, he does not use the method of giving fear and terror. It shows one hundred pains in an illegitimate pleasure, overcomes the feelings and saves the heart and spirit from being overcome by feelings. It proves that there is a seed of oleander of Hell in unbelief and deviation, that they cause man suffer torture of Hell even in the world, that there are delicious flavors and pleasures in belief, Islam and worship and that they gain man a kind of reward like seeds and fruits of Paradise in the world.
The Quran is an all-embracing divine speech and universal dominical address delivered from the Sublime Throne that addresses all the classes, nations, and members of mankind in every age. So also, and especially at this time, does it encompass many sciences and branches of learning related to the physical aspects of the world, knowledge of which is beyond the capacity of a single individual or small group.
Therefore, a commentary issuing from the understanding and imaginative power of a single individual, the scope of whose comprehension is very narrow with regard to time, place, and specialization, cannot truly expound the Quran. For an individual cannot be acquainted with and be an expert in all the exact sciences and the branches of knowledge concerned with the spiritual and material states of nations and peoples, all of whom the Qur’an addresses.
And he cannot be free of bias towards his own profession and discipline that he might explicate the truths of the Qur’an impartially.
Also, a person’s understanding is peculiar to him and he may not call on others to accept it – unless it be affirmed by a consensus of some sort.
In consequence of this, a commentary should be written after minute studies and researches by an elevated committee of authoritative scholars each of whom is a specialist in a number of sciences, proving the Qur’an’s subtle meanings and its fine points to be found scattered through other commentaries, and its truths, which become manifest in time due to the discoveries of science. Just as its legal ordinances have to be ordered and regulated, not according to the thought of a single individual, but by such a committee after being scrutinized and studied minutely by it. Thus, gaining the trust and confidence of the mass of the people, the committee will implicitly assume responsibility for them and be an authoritative source for the Muslim community.
Indeed, one who expounds the Quran should possess high intelligence, penetrating independent judgement, and a high degree of sainthood. But in these times in particular, such conditions can be met only by the brilliantcollective personality born of the co-operation of an elevated, esteemed committee and the uniting of the minds of its members, of their assistance for one another and harmony of spirit, and of their freedom of thought, and, being free of bias, of their complete sincerity. Only a collective personality such as this can expound the Qur’an.
For in accordance with the rule, ‘What is not found in the parts is present in the whole,’ conditions like these which are not to be found in every individual are present in the group.
Great Islamic scholars and sheikhs reached the following conclusion after a lot of experience and tests: Whatever Badiuzzaman Said Nursi says is true. His works are based on the inspirations coming to his heart and they receive the approval and appreciation of the majority of scholars.
Risale-i Nur, is a high and bright tafsir of the miraculous Quranwith a spiritual miracle in this age. Yes, Risale-i Nur is the conqueror and beloved of hearts, sultan of spirits, teacher of minds, trainer and cleaner of souls.
Thus, Badiuzzaman Said Nursi discovered the truths in the Quran that this age needed and was able to interpret and explain the Quran in a way that everybody could benefit in accordance with their abilities. Therefore, it is thought that Risale-i Nur is an unprecedented masterpiece.
Who is Badiuzzaman Said Nursi?
Said Nursi was born in 1876 in Nurs village, Hizan in the province of Bitlis. In his childhood, he studied in the madrasahs around. Due to his extraordinary intelligence and memory, he was first known as "Mulla Said, the Famous". Afterwards, he became known as "Badiuzzaman" "the Wonder of the Time".
During the years when he was a student, he memorized ninety books. He revised one of them every night. Those revisions became a means of understanding the verses of the Quran in depth and he saw that each verse of the Quran encompassed the whole universe.
He went to Istanbul, which was the center of the caliphate, in early 1900s with the intention of establishing an Islamic university in the east called "Madrasatuz-Zahra", in which religious and exacts sciences will be studied together; he made efforts to realize this idea throughout his life. He could not establish the university but he established a madrasah system that had branches all over the country.
During the First World War, he worked as a volunteering regiment commander in the eastern front. He was wounded during the war and was captivated by Russians. He was a prisoner of war for two and a half years when he escaped by making use of the chaos caused by the Bolshevik revolution in 1917. When he returned, he was appointed by the general staff as a member of "Darul-Hikmatil-Islamiyya", which was the highest religious consultation center of the Ottoman State.
During the years when Istanbul was under the occupation of the British, he published a booklet called "Khutuwat as-Sitta" against them. He supported the struggle of independence started in Anatolia.
While he was busy with teaching in Van in 1925, he was exiled to Burdur, then to Isparta and after that to Barla due to the revolt started by Sheikh Said. He remained there for eight years. He wrote most parts of his tafsir of the Quran called Risale-i Nur there. He was sent to Eskişehir Court due to his books and ideas in 1935.
He continued writing his works in Kastamonu, where he was exiled. He was sent to Denizli Court in 1943 and Afyon Court in 1948. He was acquitted in both courts.
When the multi-party system started in Turkey in 1950, religious rights and freedom increased. Said Nursi established Nur madrasahs in Emirdağ, Isparta and the towns around it when he lived in this region and raised a lot of students. He printed and published his books.
Badiuzzaman Said Nursi died on March 23, 1960.
It is a fact that needs to be accepted that every moment spent in vain takes many opportunities away because the time of man is very short compared to the life of the world. Therefore, time, whose one second is more valuable than gold, needs to be spent by things that will shed light on the eternal life. Therefore, the worship and work of man are related to good deeds; the remaining time needs to be spent meaningfully and legitimately so that man will not lose something while winning something.
Today, there are so many unnecessary things that kill man’s time that most of them are not related to any material or spiritual development; they drive man away from the purpose of his creation. The more man keeps away from theses purposeless and unnecessary things, the more benefits he will obtain.
“There are two things; most people are not aware of their value; they are health and free time.”(Bukhari, Riqaq 1; Tirmidhi, Zuhd 1; Ibn Majah, Zuhd 15)
The understanding of “time” is very important for a person to be successful in life. Sociologists who make research on “time” have observed that time is regarded differently by the people of developed and developing countries. According to those researchers, it is necessary to arrange things based on time beforehand and to do everything in the period of time specified for it in developed countries. Acting in accordance with the schedule means to discipline life and to make human life as efficient as possible.
TIME IN THE QURAN
The Quran uses phrases that remind people of time frequently in order to keep people active. All kinds of fard, wajib and nafilah prayers contain aims that are related to arranging time. From this point of view, the religion teaches man to make maximum use of time as much as possible through most of its orders. It can even be said that this is the main purpose.
The way the Quran Expresses Time:
“Time” lexically means “long or short time”. The word waqt is generally preferred and used by the Quran. Waqt means “the end of the time period determined for a certain thing”. The words day, week, year, century, time and hour are used and repeated many times in the Quran based on its importance for an individual. The most important one among them for an individual is the word “yawm” (day), which is mentioned 475 times in the Quran. The Quran reminds its readers the concept of time from its first pages to the last pages constantly.
In Arabic the word “layl” (night) expresses the time period between the sunset and the dawn. The remaining period is called nahar (day). In the Quran, the word day (nahar) is mentioned 57 times and night (layl) 92 times. When the period of night is considered annually, it covers half of the 24-hour day. Therefore, it needs to be evaluated in the best way.
One of the most important aims of the fard prayers is to make a Muslim have the habit of dividing and programming time.The Quran gives importance to qiyamu'l-layl (getting up at night). Getting up at night has an important place in the life of those who prepared the bright periods of the great Islamic civilization. Qiyamu'l-layl was fard for the Prophet but it is nafilah for his ummah. This sunnah is the command of the Quran.
“And celebrate the name of thy Lord morning and evening. And part of the night, prostrate thyself to Him; and glorify Him a long night through.” (al-Insan, 76/25,26).
“Is one who worships devoutly during the hours of the night prostrating himself or standing (in adoration), who takes heed of the Hereafter, and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord― (like one who does not)?” (az-Zumar, 39/9).
However, some moderations were expressed about getting up at night in the Quran later (it is stated to be sent down after a period between 8 months and 10 years). Ill people and those who are on an expedition of jihad were regarded as exempt from getting up at night. The period of getting up and worshipping at night is at least one fourth and at most three fourths of the night. This difference is due to the lengthening and shortening of the night.
Getting up at night is primarily for performing prayers and reading the Quran. Studying is also permissible. Getting up at night is regarded as more important because the word night is mentioned more than the word day in the Quran and this command was sent to the Prophet (pbuh) during the first years of his prophethood.
VIEWS AND PRECAUTIONS RELATED TO TIME
Taking conscientious measures is defined as a “view”. A person should not spend all of his days in the same style in order to be conscious of his being alive. Some months, some hours should be different from the others. In our religion, holy months and days provide it. Thanks to these months and days of different values, the monotony that could happen for man is interrupted. An important view for a person who believes in the hereafter and who feels in depths of his conscience the anxiety of being accounted for every day and every hour is to regard his life as the day he is living currently. The desire for living long called tul al-amal is regarded as the source of many evils.
The religion of Islam orders us to program the day based on three main aims:
1. Worshipping,
2. Making one’s living,
3. Controlling and meditating one’s life.
ARRANGEMENT OF TIME IN THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET
The Prophet (pbuh) followed weekly programs based on days and daily programs based on hours. The Prophet did the same things on certain days of the week. There were also some daily things that emerged without programming; for instance, accepting a delegation, application of a stranger, the emergence of a necessity. Usual chores and tasks were done at the same hours. There was some time for each work. That work was completed during the same time period every day.
HOLIDAY AND RELAXATION IN ISLAM
The word “holiday” will be used in the sense of free time here. Islam does not accept a period of time that will be spent without doing anything.The Quran tells us that one can relax by changing the thing, work or task he is doing. It can be called “relaxing through working”. Muslims should be away from an understanding of weekly holiday that will be spent “without doing anything” like Jews and Christians.
It is unanimously agreed that it is haram to look at something or somebody if there exists the possibility of lust and mischief during entertainment.
When it is stated “Islam does not accept free time”, it does not mean that Islam rejects relaxation. It is stated in the Quran that the best way of relaxation is sleeping in one’s own house.
“And He it is Who makes the Night as a Robe for you; and Sleep as Repose and makes the Day (as it were) a Resurrection.” (al-Furqan, 25/47).
“It is Allah who made out of the things He created, some things to give you shade; of the hills He made some for your shelter...” (an-Nahl, 16/80).
Forbidden games and entertainment are gambling, playing with animals, entertainment with alcoholic drinks, music and women.Some games are preferable because they prepare man for jihad. Therefore, Hazrat Prophet (pbuh) encouraged them insistently. Swimming, archery, riding horses, running and wrestling are included in this category.
Legitimate occasions of entertainment are various ceremonies, feasts (circumcision, wedding, returning from an expedition, moving to a new house, getting rid of a trouble) and wedding receptions.
ANXIETY OF TIME IN ISLAMIC SCHOLARS
The common view of Islamic scholars about time is as follows:
“The past has gone; the future is unknown; then, the moment that you are living in is the time for you.”
Islamic scholars always mentioned the relationship between eating and time, relationship with other people, always being busy with something and making an effort until one dies. They even calculated the difference between eating small pieces of bread in the form of crumbs and loaves of bread in order to decrease the time spent for eating. Dawud at-Tai determined that there was a difference of time enough to read 50 verses of the Quran between these two types of eating bread. Imam Abu Yusuf was busy with learning and teaching until he breathed his last.
CONCLUSION:
Everything is based on belief. Therefore, our religion does not give importance to sheer belief and knowledge without practice. The knowledge which is not practiced is called “useless knowledge”.
Some principles related to time in order to make young people healthier and more efficient are as follows:
1. Young people should be taught about the consciousness of time.
2. Annual, monthly, weekly and daily plans should be made and they should be applied.
3. Making use of the night should be dealt with as a separate issue and the amount of sleep should be taught well.
4. The government should determine the views and habits that young people need to be taught based on their age levels.
5. The government and parents should deal with the period of youth carefully; they should determine the problems and work hard to solve them.
Father’s Day is of western origin just like Mother’s Day. It is not something that is advised by our religion to remember love of mothers and fathers only one day a year. On the contrary, the religion of Islam gives advice to sons and daughters about their mothers and fathers all the time in the Quran and orders them to act accordingly:
"Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: ‘My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.’" (al-Isra, 17/23-24).
"And We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents: in travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in years twain was his weaning: (hear the command), ‘Show gratitude to Me and to thy parents’: to Me is (thy final) Goal. But if they strive to make thee join in worship with Me things of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not; yet bear them company in this life with justice (and consideration), and follow the way of those who turn to me (in love): in the end the return of you all is to Me, and I will tell you the truth (and meaning) of all that ye did." (Luqman, 31/14-15).
It is necessary to pay great attention to the last part of the verse:
"O man! if they strive to make thee join in worship with Me things of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not; yet bear them company in this life with justice (and consideration)!"
O Allah! What an awesome mercy and wonderful compassion! What an unbelievable tolerance shown to a mother and father even if they are unbelievers that deny you! What a fineness, respect and love in Your advice to those disrespectful people! The religion of Islam made history accept that it has incomparable virtues with the universal ethical principles it introduced regarding the issue as he did in all issues.
According to what is written, Father’s Day was first celebrated in the city of Spokane Washington on June 19, 1910. Then, it spread to other states. However, Father’s Day was first celebrated officially in 1924 with the support of Calvin Coolidge, the President of the United States. In 1966, Lyndon Johnson, the President of the US at that time, issued a declaration stating that the third Sunday of every June would be celebrated as Father’s Day.
The Quran repeats those suggestions for his addressees every day, not only one day a year. Is it not possible to remember the idiom "to teach one's grandmother how to suck eggs" here? The Westerners always do it. They sell us the nice things that belonged to us by changing them. We buy it readily just because it comes from the West without asking about the price and the quality. That is one aspect of the issue.
However, the celebration of such days is not a religious ritual. Therefore, to imitate a ceremony of another religion is not in question here. It is permissible to celebrate such days, which emerge as a universal celebration, unless a deed that is haram and contrary to Islam is committed. It is tolerated and regarded nice by Islam if it really helps people to nurture love and respect to mothers and fathers, and causes the sons and daughters to help their parents.
"Give each other gifts; share love with this occasion."
When we view the issue in the light of the hadith above, if such celebrations take place within legitimate boundaries and if giving each other presents contributes to sharing love and respect among the members of the family, the religion of Islam, the best religion, will not oppose it; on the contrary, it encourages such a nice deed.
Our principle should be as follows: We should not doubt that Islam will allow all deeds that do not necessitate disobeying Allah and that are useful to people. In Islam, "the things that lead to wajibs are regarded as wajib and the things that lead to harams are regarded as haram. Therefore, a deed that causes people to respect and love parents, which is a command of Allah, is applauded in the name of humanity unless it is used as an excuse for haram deeds like alcohol and gambling.
Allah is absolutely just; He does not allow any good deed to be lost. Every creature, whether a human being or an animal, will receive the manifestation of His justice. Therefore, Allah will make His mercy manifest by putting this loyal Qitmir, who was with virtuous people like Ashab al-Kahf, in Paradise with its body.
There are lessons to take for us from this issue. Allah, who does not allow the good deed done by the feelings of an animal that has no intellect to be lost, will definitely not allow any good deeds done by human beings to be lost and will reward them.
Man’s powers of animal appetites, anger and intellect has been left free in terms of creation; they have not been limited. The reason for it is to ensure man’s development through his partial free will. Therefore, there may be oppression, cruelty and injustice in treatments. It is necessary to be just in order to prevent them.
However, the intellect of each individual is too weak to understand justice fully. Therefore, there is a need for universal intellect so that individuals will make use of that universal will. Such a universal intellect can be in the form of a law. Such a law can be imposed only by Allah.
Then, the book in which theuniversal intellect that will protect man from the extremism of thepowers of animal appetites, anger and intellect and protect the community oppression and transgression is the Quran.
Risale-i Nur is an interpretation (tafsir) of the Quran written according to the understanding and needs of our century. The spiritual illnesses and needs of each century are different from one another. The scholars of a century collect the appropriate medicines they get from the pharmacy of the Quran and offer them to the ummah to benefit from them.
We live in the age of science and knowledge. It has brought about skepticism and proof. Doubt and proof are not related only to science, but also to religion and spirituality. The view “I do not believe what I do not see” caused the creeds of so many people to be shaken. That situation necessitated explaining every issue related to Islam, primarily the principles of belief and even made it an obligation.
Risale-i Nur Collection is an interpretation of the Quran where you can find answers to that need and many other issues.
While Risale-i Nur is considered to be within the science of tafsir since it explains the verses of the Quran in terms of meaning, it is also considered within the framework of the science of kalam in terms of discussing the problems of the age such as belief and ethics. The author himself mentions those two issues in the Collection.
Risale-i Nur attracts the attention of many people with its style of dealing with issues, its depth in its content and its comprehensiveness. On the one hand, it has been read by various layers of people in Turkey and abroad; on the other hand, international symposiums have been held about it and it has been the topic of many academic articles and theses.
Prof. Dr. Taha Abdurrahman of Morocco, one of the contemporary thinkers, mentions the great revolution Risale-i Nur made in the world of thought; he attracts attention to the fact that this aspect of Risale-i Nur is remarkable along with its other aspects:
The German philosopher Kant and his followers put the intellect in the center of everything; and they relied on only the things that are the products of the intellect. They even went so far regarding the issue that they brought a definition for the heavenly books such as the Bible and the Quran and the religions they represented in the intellectual system by including them among other things based on the intellect. That is, they regarded the mind as something fixed and made the celestial books and religions go round it just as old people thought that the world was fixed and that the sun went round it.
Badiuzzaman Said Nursi changed this trend in the world of thought and put it in the course where it needed to be with Risale-i Nur - just as Copernicus did in the world of science. Copernicus refuted the old view that the world was fixed and the sun went round it; instead, he proved that the world turned around its own axis and around the sun. Badiuzzaman made a similar revolution in the world of thought with Risale-i Nur. He said, ‘Man’s world of thought cannot be fixed; the world of thought turns around its own axis and around the sun of Revelation.’ Thus, He determined the real place where human thought should be, and illuminated and relieved the mind by saving it from loneliness and darkness.
In addition, Risale-i Nur addresses the heart, soul and all other senses as well as the mind since it is a Quranic tafsir. It sheds light on all dimensions of ethics and offers solutions for many social problems. However, the best way to understand its many other virtues similar to this one is to open it, read it and live it.
Risale-i Nur is an interpretation (tafsir) of the Quran written by Badiuzzaman Said Nursi. He first wrote the book titled İşaratu’l-İ’caz with the intention of interpreting the Quran from beginning to end. It interprets the chapter of al-Fatiha and the first thirty-three verses of the chapter of al-Baqara. This work, written in Arabic, is a masterpiece in terms of showing the miracles in the prose of the Quran.
The author was thinking of interpreting the entire Quran in the same way as sixty to seventy volumes but the events led him to write a Turkish interpretation of the Quran. He continued writing his tafsir for twenty-three years in Barla, Kastamonu and Emirdağ, where he was sent to exile, as well as in Eskişehir, Denizli and Afyon prisons.
Risale-i Nur does not explain all the verses of the Quran from beginning to end, but about a thousand verses that are related to belief and truth in particular. In the light of the verses that are explained, it gains man a tremendous foundation to interpret other verses.
The verses dealt with in Risale-i Nur are generally the ones criticized by the enemies of religion. Risale-i Nur explains and proves to those sane people that the points they criticize are glitters of miracles. Indeed, as a result of his explanations, many enemies of religion were convinced and accepted Islam, and those who were not convinced had to keep silent.
In Risale-i Nur, issues like “How is prayer performed? What are its fards and sunnahs” are not dealt with. However, answers to questions like “Why is prayer performed? Why is it performed at certain times?” are given with evidences. When someone who reads it is convinced to perform prayers, he learns how to perform it from fiqh books.
Yes, Risale-i Nur is
• a glittering and spiritual miracle of the Quran,
• a drop from the sea of the Quran,
• a light of that sun,
• a spiritual translation inspired and coming from the source of that knowledge of truth,
• a chest of the sacred treasure of the Quran,
• a prescription from the sacred pharmacy of the Quran,
• a very appropriate medicine and salve for the wounds of this age,
• a very beneficial light for Islam as a whole, which has been subject to the assaults of darkness,
• a true guide for those wandering bewildered in the valleys of misguidance,
• a key for the realities of the Quran,
• a diamond sword to hit the heads of those who try to deny those realities,
• an electric lamp on that light-filled highway of the Quran of Miraculous Exposition,
• a translator of the lights of the Quran,
• an unbreakable, sound handle stemming from the spiritual miracle of the Quran,
• a luminous means to take man from darkness to the light,
• a real interpretation of the Quran,
• a translator of its reality,
• an evidence of its issues.
Risale-i Nur Collection includes very useful meanings and messages for all humanity. Everybody has the right to benefit from that treasure of sciences regardless of religion, sect and ideology.
THE PLACE OF RISALE-I NUR IN TAFSIR
The place of a book in knowledge in general and Islamic literature in particular is determined in two ways. The first one is to examine the content of the book and the second one is to refer to the statement of the author. Accordingly, it is necessary to determine the real place of Risale-i Nur Collection in the Islamic literature in those two ways.
1. The Content of Risale-i Nur
Risale-i Nur can be regarded as a tafsir of the Quran in terms of content because the tafsir of the chapter of al-Fatiha and the first 33 verses of the chapter of al-Baqara is included in the book titled Îşârâtü’l-İ’câz. As it is seen in relevant places of this study, the book in question is a kind of “scientific and literary tafsir” included in “tafsirs of dirayah” in which all methods of classical tafsirs are used except for the relationships among chapters. The basic resources of Risale-i Nur like Sözler, Mektûbat, Lem’alar and Şualar can be considered as a kind of “tafsir with a topic” because a topic’s being analyzed under a certain verse, attention being paid to topic integrity in general, and the topic’s being presented as the explanation of several verses in terms of meaning, though not in terms of words, can be regarded as a new approach of “tafsir with a topic”. In fact, “tafsir with a topic”, emerging as a new form of tafsir, described as “the verses related to the topic being arranged and evaluated based on the order of revelation and”1 shows a certain view; it does not mean it cannot be in any other way. It is clear that the books of the previous scholars based on a certain topic like “nasikh-mansukh, aqsamul-Quran and amthalul-Quran” are a kind of “tafsir with a topic”.
Some contemporary scholars regard “tafsir with a topic” within the framework of the definition above but they also accept dealing with the issues that a chapter includes within the framework “tafsir with a topic,2, which shows that this type of tafsir can be dealt with differently. In fact, it should not be scientifically objectionable to evaluate the issues that are dealt with in unity like “Scenes of Doomsday in the Quran”, “Divinity in the Quran”, “Oneness in the Quran”, “Miraculousness of the Quran” and “Science in the Quran” within the framework of “tafsir with a topic”.3 Similarly, it is possible to consider the way of dealing with issues like “Oneness”, “Prophethood” and “Miraculousness of the Quran”, which are analyzed independently under certain verses in Risale-i Nur Collection, which are also evaluated within the framework of the explanation of several verses whose topics and texts are not given, which are known as the main purpose of the Quran and which provide man happiness in the world and the hereafter, within the framework of “tafsir with a topic”.
For instance, Dokuzuncu Söz (the Ninth Word) is evaluated within the framework of the topic “the wisdom behind prayer times”.
“So (give) glory to Allah, when ye reach eventide and when ye rise in the morning; Yea, to Him be praise, in the heavens and on earth; and in the late afternoon and when the day begins to decline.”4
The verses فسبحان اللّه حين تمسون وحين تسبحون وله الحمد في السموات والارض وعشيا وحين تظهرون are used as a heading. It is stated in the contents part of this word with the statement “on the wisdom in the specified times of the five daily prayers, in five ‘Points’...” that the other verses regarding the issue are explained along with the verses above.5 The common topic of the “Ninth Word” as well as the 4th Word and the 11th Word and the 21th Word (First Station) is prayer. It is possible to consider it as “Prayer in the Quran”.
For instance, the 19th Word and the 19th Letter deal with the issue of “the Prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh)” only. That generally hadiths are dealt with in the 19th Letter is not contrary to the understanding of tafsir with a topic. However, the topic of the 19th Letter is expressed as follows in the contents: “(By the Qur’an, full of Wisdom,- Thou art indeed one of the apostles). It interprets and proves the Prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh), which is the most important reality of hundreds of verses in the meanings of the verse from the chapter of Yasin above, with fourteen definite and sound evidences called fourteen droplets.”6
The Tenth Word is titled “Booklet of Resurrection”; it deals with resurrection only. In addition, resurrection is also dealt with in the addendum to the 15th Word and in the 29th Word. It is possible to bring those three booklets together under the heading “Resurrection in the Quran”. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in the contents part of the 29th Word:
“... Say: The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord.”7
“And the Decision of the Hour (of Judgment) is as the twinkling of an eye, or even quicker.”8 “
“And your creation or your resurrection is in no wise but as an individual soul.”9
It interprets the three realities of hundreds of verses in the meanings of the verses above related to resurrection, everlastingness of the spirit and angels.10
The Twenty-Fifth Word is also called the “Booklet of the Quranic Miracles”.
“Say: If the whole of mankind and Jinn were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support.”11
The explanations at the beginning of the verse above are evaluated as “the miraculousness of the Quran”. The content of the 25th Word starts with the verse above and the following is stated with reference to it: It interprets the miraculousness of the Quran, which is a very important reality of hundreds of verses confirming the reality of the verses above.”12
The 26th Word deals with the issue of “Qadar” exclusively. “And there is not a thing but its (sources and) treasures (inexhaustible) are with Us; but We only send down thereof in due and ascertainable measures.”13 “... and of all things have We taken account in a clear Book (of evidence).”14 The verses above are written as the heading.15
However, the originality of Risale-i Nur in its style of expression and the method it uses for dealing with topics can be evaluated as a new approach. As a matter of fact, some scholars evaluated Risale-i Nur as a new “methodology of the science of kalam” since it deals with the topics of the science of kalam.16 Accordingly, it is necessary to accept that Risale-i Nur has a method peculiar to itself whether it is considered as “science of kalam” or “tafsir”.
It can be stated as a summary that Risale-i Nur is a spiritual tafsir of topic that explains the verses that deal with the principles of belief. In other words, Risale-i Nur is a spiritual and observational tafsir that conveys the message of guidance as a concept to the minds of people without interpreting the words of the Quran in general (except for İşârâtü’l-İ’caz).17 Yes, Risale-i Nur is a spiritual tafsir in that it conveys the message, not the words, of the Quran directly and it is an observational tafsir in that it shows the realities of the Quran with visible examples. The views of the author below confirm it. On the other hand, Samir Rajab Muhammad, who examined the “literary aspect” of Risale-i Nur in detail along with its religious service, considered Risale-i Nur as an observational tafsir.18
2. The Views of the Author on Risale-i Nur
That Risale-i Nur is a tafsir was insistently emphasized by its author, Badiuzzaman Said Nursi. There is nothing more natural than an author’s knowing why and how he wrote a book, and what the source and subject of his book is better than anyone else. It is contrary to the understanding of scientific courtesy to claim that Risale-i Nur has no connection with tafsir and to state an opinion contrary to that of the author despite all his insistence and his statement “I wrote it as a tafsir”. It is contrary to the understanding of objective science to imply that a scholar who was given the nickname “Badiuzzaman” (the Wonder of the Age) by his peers could not distinguish between the sciences of tafsir, kalam, philosophy, fiqh and hadith, and to accuse him of not knowing what he wrote. Yes, Risale-i Nur is a book that deals with both tafsir and kalam. It is quite normal for those two issues to be together. The meaning of it is as follows: Risale-i Nur is a tafsir that generally explains the verses that deal with the principles of belief, in other words, that deals with the verses of the Quran using the method of ilm al-kalam. That is to say, that a book deals with the principles of belief that are the topics of Kalam does not prevent it from being a tafsir book.
Now let us hear from Badiuzzaman, the author himself, that Risale-i Nur is a book that deals with the topics of Kalam and a tafsir:
2.1. Risale-i Nur is a Spiritual Tafsir
Desired tafsir is a tafsir that shows people the ways of happiness in the world and the hereafter. Tafsir scholars made tafsirs by dealing with various aspects of the Quran, and hence, various aspects occurred in tafsir. 19 Tafsir works started to be called tafsir of riwayah (narration) and dirayah (opinion), scientific, literary and social tafsirs and tafsir of topic in the course of time according to the type of the tafsir material used predominantly.
In addition, it is possible to call tafsirs that explain the words of the Quran within the framework of philological studies as tafsir based on words and tafsirs that convey the message of guidance of the Quran directly without examining the words as spiritual tafsir. As a matter of fact, according to Ibn Qayyim, tafsirs are generally divided into three:
1. The understanding of tafsir based on the explanation of the words of the Quran (Literal tafsir).
2. The understanding of tafsir based on the message that the Quran wants to give (Spiritual tafsir).
3. Tafsir Ishari (Allegorical tafsir).20
According to Ghazali, tafsir is divided into two as literal (based one words) and spiritual (based on meaning). Literal tafsir explaining the words of the Quran are insufficient to understand the true meanings of the Quran. According to Ghazali, it is not possible to understand the real meaning of the following verse based on literal tafsir:
وما رميت إذ رميت ولكن اللّه رمى (When thou threwest (a handful of dust), it was not thy act, but Allah’s)21. For, the apparent meaning of the verse says both “you threw” and “you did not throw”. It is a contradiction in terms of literary tafsir. That apparent contradiction can be explained by understanding the real meaning of the verse.22
It is possible to find examples of both literal and spiritual tafsir in the Sunnah. Imam Shafii included the following views while explaining the issue: The Prophet’s explanation of the Quran is in two ways: First: The explanation made by including the verses of the Quran. Second: To convey directly what the will of Allah is without mentioning the words of the Qur’an in issues expressed as mujmal (in summary) in the Quran.23 According to Shafii, all of the decrees that the Prophet put forward regarding the issues whose clear decrees are not available in the Quran like the details of prayer, zakah and hajj are the decrees that he deduced from the Quran.24 For instance:
“But whosoever turns away from My Message, verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment.”25
The Prophet’s interpreting the phrase “معيشة ضنكا” mentioned in the verse as “a life narrowed down”26 is an example of tafsir based on words; his explanations related to the details of hajj, zakah and hajj are examples of spiritual tafsir.27
Badiuzzaman divides tafsir into two as based on words and based on meaning. He states the following regarding the issue:
“Since we have repeatedly said that ‘the Risale-i Nur is a powerful and true Qur’anic commentary,’ it was imparted to me that I should explain a fact, since some inattentive people do not know the full meaning of this. The fact is this:
“There are two sorts of Qur’anic commentaries: The first is the well-known sort of commentary. Commentaries of this sort expound and elucidate the Qur’an’s phraseology, words, and sentences. The second sort explains, proves, and elucidates with powerful arguments the Qur’an’s truths related to belief. This sort has great importance. Sometimes the well-known, externalist commentaries include this sort in summary fashion. But the Risale-i Nur has made it its basis directly, and is a commentary on the Qur’an’s meanings which silences obstinate philosophers in unprecedented manner.”28
His following statement addressing the Afyon court expresses his view regarding the issue clearly: Thus, the Risale-i Nur, which is a true and powerful commentary on the Qur’an of Mighty Stature, is a supreme Divine bounty which has been demonstrating its effectiveness for twenty years in this century, an insuppressible miracle of the Qur’an.29
It is clearly understood from the statement of Badiuzzaman above that Risale-i Nur is an unprecedented, real and spiritual tafsir that also deals with the principles of belief, which is also a topic of kalam according to him. It is possible to understand some of the emphasized words above as follows: Risale-i Nur is “unprecedented” because its style of expression, method of proving and approach to topics are original. “It is a true tafsir of the Quran” because it is primarily based on the topics of oneness, prophethood and resurrection, which are the real message of the Quran. “It is a spiritual tafsir” because the messages taken from the Quran are transferred directly without the texts or meanings of the verses generally being given in the method used by Risale-i Nur Collection except for Îşârâtü’l-İ’câz tafsir.
2.2. The Topic of Risale-i Nur is Principles of Belief
Stating that Risale-i Nur is a spiritual and true tafsir of the Quran, Badiuzzaman says that they are books that give real kalam lessons in terms of topics and that Imam Rabbani gave information about it beforehand.
He states the following in a letter to one of his students:
“You state in your letter that you want to take Kalam lessons from me. You already take that lesson. All the words that you write are luminous and real Kalam lessons. Some blessed researchers like Imam Rabbani said: Somebody at the end of time will explain Kalam, that is to say, issues of belief that are the true madhhab, in such a way that he will cause those lights spread more than all saints and tariqahs. What is more, Imam Rabbani regarded himself as that person. As your humble and unworthy brother, I cannot claim that I am that person to come, which is beyond my state; I am not worthy of it. However, I think I am a servant, vanguard and soldier of that wonderful person to come in the future. That is why, you felt that strange smell from the things that were written.”30
The reason why Risale-i Nur Collection is regarded as books of Kalam is that they are about the principles of belief. As it is stated above, Badiuzzaman regards Risale-i Nur as a spiritual tafsir of the Quran and emphasizes that it deals with the topics of Kalam.
Some of his statements regarding the issue are as follows:
“Imam Rabbani, the Regenerator of the Second Millennium, Ahmad Faruqi (May God be pleased with him), said: “In my opinion, the unfolding and clarification of a single of the truths of belief is preferable to thousands of illuminations and instances of wonder-working. Moreover, the aim and result of all the Sufi paths are the unfolding and clarification of the truths of faith.’ Since a champion of Sufism like Imam Rabbani made such a pronouncement, surely the Words, which expound the truths of faith with perfect clarity and proceed from the mysteries of the Qur’an, may yield the results sought from sainthood.”31
The following statement of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi related to Imam Rabbani also shows that he considers Risale-i Nur as a spiritual tafsir of the Quran.
The author states the following while explaining the reason why he does not refer to any books other than the Quran by taking into consideration the following advice of Imam Rabbani: “Turn to one qibla only”:
“It was imparted to my heart by God’s mercy: The All-Wise Qur’an is the head of these various ways and the source of these streams and the sun of these planets; the true single qibla is to be found in it. In which case, it is also the most elevated guide and holy master. So I clasped it with both hands and clung on to it. Of course with my deficient, wretched abilities I could not absorb the effulgence – like the water of life – of that true guide as was its due, but still, through it, we can show that effulgence, that water of life, according to the degree of those who receive it, those who perceive the truth through their hearts and attain to certain spiritual states. That is to say, the Words and those lights, which proceed from the Qur’an, are not only scholarly matters that address the intellect, they are matters of faith that look to the heart, the spirit, and spiritual states. They resemble most elevated, valuable knowledge of God.”32
According to Badiuzzaman, transition to the reality from outward appearance is through two ways: The First: To enter the realm of tariqah, to cover various stages through a spiritual journey and to attain the truth. The second: To attain the truth directly thanks to divine grace without entering the realm of tariqah. The latter is a lofty way that is peculiar to the Companions and Tabiun and that enables man to attain the truth in a very short time. Thus, Risale-i Nur, which follows that way and occurs as a reflection of the realities of the Quran, has that characteristic.33
Stating that Risale-i Nur serves as a mirror that reflect the realities of the Quran, the author expresses the following views:
“I myself have formed the conviction through experiencing, not ten or a hundred times but thousands of times, that just as the lights proceeding from the Words and the Qur’an give instruction to my mind, so do they induce a state of belief in my heart and produce the pleasure of belief in my spirit, and so on. The same goes for worldly matters: just as the follower of a wonder-working shaikh awaits saintly assistance from him to answer his needs; so I have awaited from the wondrous mysteries of the All-Wise Qur’an that they answer my needs, and this has been achieved for me on numerous occasions in ways I had not hoped or anticipated.”34
In his book titled “Kastamonu Lahikası”, Badiuzzaman expresses the following views while mentioning an issue that interested people of madrasah and scholars: In the past and in most places, madrasah teachers sought the realities of belief and blessing in dervish lodges. A great madrasah teacher sometimes bowed down before a sheikh of dervish lodge, kissed his hand and became subject to him in order to attain the fruits of sainthood. He looked for the blessing of sainthood there. However, Risale-i Nur shows clearly through the spiritual miracle of the miraculous Quran that there is a way leading to the lights of the truth, a purer fountain of water of life in the sciences related to the principles of belief in madrasah, that there is a higher and stronger way of sainthood than tariqah in science (ilm) itself, in the realities of belief and in Kalam of Ahl as-Sunnah. Therefore, it is necessary for madrasah teachers to be interested in the lights but unfortunately most of the people of madrasah are not aware of the fountain of the life of water and the very valuable treasure that comes out of madrasah; they do not know and seek it and they cannot keep it. However, thank God, Sözler attracted scholars and teachers to the lights.35
2.3. Risale-i Nur is inspired by the Quran
The following statement of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi clearly expresses the view that Risale-i Nur is a spiritual tafsir inspired by the Quran:
“I do not praise Risale-i Nur because it is my work in appearance. On the contrary, I express its virtues only because it is a tafsir of the Quran, a real translator inspired by the Quran and evidences and guide of belief. Furthermore, I wrote some treatises involuntarily; similarly, I wrote about its importance involuntarily.”36
Accordingly, it can be said that the topics that are dealt with are not the explanations of only the verses used as headings but also many other verses whose texts are not quoted but that are relevant to the topic.
“Risale-i Nur, which is like spiritual electricity, is not something coming from the knowledge and information of the east or the philosophy and sciences of the west and a light taken from them. On the contrary, it is taken from the lofty level of the Quran over the east and the west.”37
The statement of the author above clearly expresses his view regarding the issue.
According to Badiuzzaman, there are evidences showing that Risale-i Nur is inspired by the Quran. They can be mentioned as addressing people of all levels and being written extraordinarily fast though the author did not have any resource other than the Quran while writing it. According to the author, the content of Risale-i Nur has a scope that is superior to his mind. It is an evidence showing that it is a work of inspiration. His following statement indicate it:
“Furthermore, although in the truths of belief and the Qur’an there is such a breadth that the greatest human genius cannot comprehend them, the fact that they appeared together with the great majority of their fine points through someone like me whose mind is confused, situation wretched, has no book to refer to, and who writes with difficulty and at speed, is directly the work of the All-Wise Qur’an’s miraculousness and a manifestation of dominical favor and a powerful sign from the Unseen.”38
The author states that the style of Risale-i Nur is different from other books, that it can address people from all strata and that it uses a way that is compatible with the style of the realities of the Quran and the Quran. His views regarding the issue are as follows: All deep truths in all treatises of Risale-i Nur are taught even to the most ignorant people through the examples that are given. However, great scholars do not tell all people and even people of high level about most of those realities thinking that they “cannot be understood and taught”. Thus, the ease of explanation in Risale-i Nur is a sign of divine help; it cannot be the skill of its author. It can only be a manifestation of the spiritual miraculousness of the Quran and a reflection of its examples.39
The author includes some comparisons in order to support the views above and states the following:
“The fact that the various parts of the Risale-i Nur prove the principal truths of belief and the Qur’an in brilliant fashion to even the most obdurate person is a powerful sign from the Unseen and divine favor. For among those truths are some that Ibn Sina, who was considered the greatest genius, confessed his powerlessness to understand, saying: ‘Reason cannot solve these.’ Whereas the Tenth Word explains what he could not achieve with his genius to ordinary people, or even to children.”40
Badiuzzaman gives another example regarding the issue from Sa’d Taftazani stating that he could only solve the mystery of divine determining and man’s will in forty to fifty pages with the famous “Muqaddamat Ithna Ashar” in his work titled Talwih. Those same matters, which he set out for the elite alone, are explained completely in two pages in the Second Topic of the Twenty-Sixth Word, which is about divine determining, in a way that everyone can understand; Nursi emphasizes that it is a mark of divine favor.42
Badiuzzaman thinks that the persuasive ability in Risale-i Nur, the ability to compare the issues in a measured manner and to show the facts clearly, and its great success in this regard is only possible thanks to the inspiration by its only master, the Quran. He states the following in an answer to a question while explaining that believing alone cannot be a means of salvation without Islam:
“Neither can Islam without belief be a means of salvation, nor can belief without Islam be a means. All praise and bounty is God’s, through the grace of the Qur’an’s miraculousness the comparisons of the Risale-i Nur have shown the fruits of the religion of Islam and results of the Qur’anic truths in such a way that even if someone without religion does not understand them, he cannot be unsympathetic towards them. And they have demonstrated proofs of belief and Islam in such powerful fashion that if even a non-Muslim understands them, he is sure to assent to them. While being a non-Muslim, he would believe.”43
There are even more striking expressions of the author showing his belief that there is a wonderful effect of his works. The expressions that were deemed appropriate to be kept private and not shown to everyone for a while, included under the title “It is an answer to a private question” and in a “question-answer dialogue”, are as follows:
“You ask me: How is it that in the Words you have written from the Qur’an are a power and effectiveness rarely to be found in the words of Qur’anic commentators and those with knowledge of God? Sometimes a single line is as powerful as a page, and one page as effective as a book?”
“The Answer: - A good answer - since the honor belongs to the Qur’an’s miraculousness and not to me, I say fearlessly: it is mostly like that for the following reason: The Words that have been written are not supposition, they are affirmation; they are not submission, they are belief; they are not intuitive knowledge, they are a testifying and witnessing; they are not imitating, they are verification; they are not taking the part of something, they are comprehension of it; they are not Sufism, they are reality; they are not a claim, they are the proof within the claim.”44
With that statement, Badiuzzaman emphasizes that Risale-i Nur proves the realities of the Quran with evidences at the degree of observation (witnessing) as a spiritual miracle of the Quran directly.
While writing about the reasons that make Risale-i Nur so different from other works, he states that it is a grace of Allah as a sound tafsir inspired by the Quran as follows:
“Formerly, the fundamentals of belief were protected, submission was strong. Even if the intuitive knowledge of those with knowledge of God lacked proof, their expositions were acceptable and sufficient. But at this time, since the misguidance of science has stretched out its hand to the fundamentals and pillars of belief, the All-Wise and Compassionate One of Glory, who bestows a remedy for every ill, in consequence of my impotence and weakness, want and need, mercifully bestowed in these writings of mine which serve the Qur’an a single ray from the comparisons of that Noble Qur’an, which are a most brilliant manifestation of its miraculousness. All praise be to God, distant truths were brought close through the telescope of the mystery of comparisons. Through the aspect of unity of the mystery of comparisons, truly disparate matters were collected together.
Through the stairs of the mystery of comparisons, the highest truths were easily reached. Through the window of the mystery of comparisons, a certainty of belief in the truths of the Unseen and fundamentals of Islam was obtained close to the degree of witnessing. The intellect, as well as the imagination and fancy, and the soul and caprice, were compelled to submit, and Satan too was compelled to surrender his weapons. In Short: Whatever beauty and effectiveness are found in my writings, they are only flashes of the Qur’anic comparisons. My share is only my intense need and my seeking, and my extreme impotence and my beseeching. The ill is mine, and the cure, the Qur’an’s.”45
According to the author, the way Risale-i Nur is written shows that it is a work of inspiration. According to what is understood from the explanations he made showing all his students and the scribes who were with him and whom he called “my brothers and friends” as witnesses, the five parts of the Nineteenth Letter were written referring to no book at all in several days working for two or three hours each day making a total of twelve hours. According to what is expressed particularly, “the Fourth Part”, which is the most important and displays a clear seal of prophethood in the phrase “God’s Noble Messenger, Upon whom be blessings and peace”, was written from memory in three or four hours in the rain in the mountains; that the important and profound treatise of the Thirtieth Word was written in six hours in an orchard, and that the most important of the Words and their treatises were written when he was suffering most difficulty and illness, and with the most speed are regarded as a direct divine favor and dominical bounty and wonder of the Quran.46
Badiuzzaman states that the way fifty to sixty treatises were written can be explained by nothing but Allah’s inspiration and grant as follows:
“Fifty to sixty treatises were bestowed in such a way that, being works that could not be written through the efforts and exertions of great geniuses and exacting scholars, let alone someone like me who thinks little, follows the apparent, and does not have the time for close study, they demonstrate that they are directly the works of divine favor. “47
The following can be stated as a summary: According to Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, the extraordinary ease and speed in the writing of Risale-i Nur, extraordinary facility and enthusiasm in their being written out and copied, not causing boredom in reading and being read with pleasure are miracles of the Quran, becoming manifest in Risale-i Nur, the lights of the Quran.48
Badiuzzaman states the following in the answer he gives to those who consider his praising Risale-i Nur as praising himself and those who oppose him:
“His fifty-sixty years of life of ilm does not need such praise; he avoids boasting fully especially in the last part of his life; it is a slander to transform his statement that he did not make any mistakes in expressing the realities of belief and that he only quoted from the blessing of the Quran into such boastfulness.”49
One of the evidences showing that Risale-i Nur is inspired by the Quran is that the thoughts expressed in various places of those books are put forward as the explanation of more than one verse. For instance, the First Station of the 22nd Word is written under the heading of the following two verses:
“So Allah sets forth parables for men, in order that they may receive admonition.”50
“... Such are the similitudes which We propound to men, that they may reflect.”51
Four to five verses expressing oneness like the verse below are used as headings in the Second Station of the 22nd Word:
“Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Guardian and Disposer of all affairs. To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth.”52
The creed of oneness is proved through 12 evidences in the first station and through 12 flashes in the second station. On the other hand, although the number of verses used as headings in the 22nd Word is no more than seven, the following is stated in the content of that word: “The 22nd Word interprets an important reality of hundreds of verses about real oneness – with two stations.”53
While dealing with the reasons for explaining Allah’s grant and help to him with the intention of mentioning the blessings, the author explains the third reason as follows:
“I do not say this about the Words out of modesty but in order to explain a truth, that the truths and perfections in the Words are not mine; they are the Qur’an’s and they have issued from the Qur’an. The Tenth Word, for instance, consists of a few droplets filtered from hundreds of verses, and the rest of the treatises are all like that. Since I know it is thus and since I am transient, I shall depart, of course something, a work, which is enduring should not, and must not, be tied to me…Yes, the qualities of delicious bunches of grapes should not be sought in their dry stalks. I resemble such a dry stalk. “54
Badiuzzaman Said Nursi states the following in summary in a letter he wrote to his students in which he tells them about the wisdom behind Risale-i Nur and mentions about a conversation that took part in the form of question and answer:
“Someone said: The great mobilization and complete preparedness of the Risale-i Nur for the sake of belief and the proving of the Divine unity is constantly increasing. One hundredth part of its contents is enough to silence the most obstinate atheist; why then this further feverish mobilization and preparation? They answered him:
The Risale-i Nur is not only repairing some minor damage or some small house; it is repairing vast damage and the all-embracing citadel which contains Islam, the stones of which are the size of mountains. And it is not striving to reform only a private heart and an individual conscience; it is striving to cure with the medicines of the Qur’an and belief and the Qur’an’s miraculousness the collective heart and generally-held ideas, which have been breached in awesome fashion by the tools of corruption prepared and stored up over a thousand years, and the general conscience, which is facing corruption through the destruction of the foundations, currents, and marks of Islam which are the refuge of all and particularly the mass of believers. Certainly, for such universal breaches and awesome wounds, proofs and equipment of the utmost certitude and the strength of mountains, and well-proven medicines and numberless drugs of the effectiveness of a thousand remedies are necessary. Emerging at this time from the miraculousness of the Qur’an of Miraculous Exposition, the Risale-i Nur performs this function, and is also the means of advancing and progressing through the infinite degrees of belief.”
When the author quoted that conversation, which, he said, took place in a spiritual realm, he evaluated it with the following sentence: “A long discussion ensued to which I listened, offering infinite thanks. I curtail the matter here.”55
According to what is understood from what Badiuzzaman wrote to one of his students as “a secret”, Allah’s name “Wadud (the Loving One)” becomes manifest in some people of truth; similarly, he was given a position to receive the manifestation of the names “Rahim (the All-Compassionate)” and “Hakim (the Perfectly Wise)” when he was serving the realities of the Quran. According to him, all Nur treatises are a manifestation of it. “He granteth wisdom to whom He pleaseth; and he to whom wisdom is granted receiveth indeed a benefit overflowing.”56 The secret of the verse above becomes manifest in them.57
2.4. Risale-i Nur used the method of the Quran
According to the author, Risale-i Nur used the same method of guidance and conveying the message as the Quran. Risale-i Nur followed the path of the Qur’an exactly, without introducing new methods like other sects, both in terms of the basic principles of the Quran and its method of guidance, conveying the message, proof and persuasion.
According to Badiuzzaman, who compared the way of sufism (tariqah) and the way of Risale-i Nur in his book titled Mektûbat, Risale-i Nur showed that it was different and superior to other sects because it followed a line peculiar to the Quran. However, it should be known that what is meant by comparison here is not to show the superiority of any party but to show how Nur treatises, which are claimed to have been based on the Quran with all its realities, were evaluated by its author since it is related to our topic.
According to the author, the following statement of Imam Rabbani, who was a hero of tariqah, shows the value of the way of Risale-i Nur, which teaches the principles of belief in an investigative way: “The disclosure of a single matter of the truths of faith is preferable to thousands of illuminations, ecstasies, and instances of wonder-working”.58
“Sainthood is of three sorts: one is the lesser sainthood, which is the well-known sainthood. The others are the middle sainthood and the greater sainthood. Greater sainthood is to open up by way of the legacy of prophethood a direct way to reality without entering the intermediate realm of Sufism.”59 After quoting the statement of Imam Rabbani above, Badiuzzaman states the following:
“Accordingly, the Naqshi way consists of three veils. The First and most important is to serve the truths of faith directly; Imam Rabbani travelled this way in his later years. The Second is to advance the cause of the religious obligations and serve the glorious practices (Sunna) of the Prophet (UWBP) under the veil of the Sufi way. The Third is to strive to eliminate the sicknesses of the heart by way of Sufism and to journey with the feet of the heart. Of these, the first is the equivalent of obligatory, the second, close to obligatory, and the third, Sunna.”
“Since the reality of the matter is thus, my conjecture is that if such persons as Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir Gilani (May God be pleased with him) and Shah Naqshband (May God be pleased with him) and Imam Rabbani (May God be pleased with him) were alive today, they would expend all their efforts on strengthening the truths of faith and tenets of Islam. For it is through them that eternal happiness is won. Any deficiency in them results in eternal misery. A person without faith will not enter Paradise, but very many will go there without Sufism. Man cannot live without bread, but he can live without fruit. Sufism is the fruit, the truths of Islam, basic sustenance.”60
The following views of Badiuzzaman show very nicely his thought that the method Risale-i Nur follows in terms of guidance is a very short way peculiar to the Quran and a means that takes man to the truth very quickly: In former times, through spiritual journeying from forty days to as much as forty years, a person could rise to some of the truths of faith. But now, if through Almighty God’s mercy there is a way to rise to those truths in forty minutes, it surely is not sensible to remain indifferent to it. Thus, people who have studied the thirty-three Words closely state that they have opened up just such a Qur’anic way. Since this is a fact, I am of the opinion that the Words so far written about the mysteries of the Qur’an are a most appropriate medicine and salve for the wounds of this time, and a most beneficial light for Islam as a whole, which has been subject to the assaults of darkness, and a most right guide for those wandering bewildered in the valleys of misguidance. I think that Almighty God has bestowed Risale-i Nur at this time, which are flashes of the Qur’an’s miraculousness, as an antidote to this atheistic misguidance.61
“Had it not been for the adverse incidents caused by the World War I, I would have written İşârâtü’l-İcâz as sixty volumes with the help and permission of Allah. Inshallah Risale-i Nur will replace that wonderful tafsir, which I planned.”62 Badiuzzaman’s explanation above shows that he considers Risale-i Nur Collection as a tafsir like “İşâratü’l-İcâz”. In addition, that the title of the index at the end of the Words (Sözler) and the title in the Fihristler booklet is “It is a short index of Risale-i Nur remedies, which is a kind of tafsir of the verses of the Quran”63 shows that Badiuzzaman Said Nursi regarded his books as a tafsir all the time.
2.5. Some Objections Regarding the Issue and Answers
An expert who examined Risale-i Nur considered Badiuzzaman’s statements like “I was informed; I was given information from the truth; I was told” as boastfulness. Badiuzzaman’s answer to such views is as follows:
“Such statements are expressions used for the things like memories and private inspirations that come to the heart. They have no haram aspects. The statements like ‘I was given information from the truth; it was told to my heart’ are to the point for the meanings that come from the realities of the Quran involuntarily and in the form of inspiration for understanding some subtleties of the Quran.”64
“Yes, people of truth and religion unanimously decree that there is a Satanic spot and giver of delusions in everybody’s heart as well as an inspirational and angelic spot. A reality out of my will and beyond my thought sometimes comes to my heart just like everybody else. That is, a nice subtlety in the form of inspiration from the Quran is informed to me from a spiritual aspect of the Quran. By using those expressions, I want to say that the realities that I write do not belong to me and that they are not products of my thought. Otherwise, I never remember attributing or wanting to attribute in the period of New Said such a position to my soul and myself, who is afraid of the evil of the soul and ego. However, I told my students in order to level their extreme good thoughts about me originating from the extreme love toward the master (teacher) existing among the people of truth and so as not to show ingratitude toward the blessings of Allah the following: The duty of being a ‘mujaddid’ is possible but it belongs to Risale-i Nur, not to me. Maybe it is a manifestation of the reality of the Quran related to this age. Risale-i Nur represents it. Who am I to claim it?”65
Another criticism aimed at Badiuzzaman is that he does not attach importance to the books of the Islamic scholars. It is answered as follows in Risale-i Nur:
“They say: Said does not have any other books with him. It means he does not like them. He does not like Imam Ghazzali fully since he does not have his books with him. They confuse people with such strange and meaningless statements. The ones who play those tricks are unbelievers behind the scenes. However, they use some gullible scholars and Sufis as a tool. We answer it as follows:
“God forbid! It is impossible for Risale-i Nur and its students not to like Hujjatul-Islam Imam Ghazzali, my unique master who connects me with Hz. Ali; on the contrary, what they do is to save and protect the way they follow from the attacks of the people of deviation with might and main. However, when they were alive, the terrible attacks of the unbelievers did not shake the principles of belief. The tools those investigative, knowledgeable and mujtahid people used in scientific and religious debates in their ages can be obtained late and they cannot defeat the enemies of this age at once; Since Risale-i Nur finds the sharp weapons that destroy the enemies from the miraculous Quran very quickly, it does not refer to the tools of those blessed and holy people because the Quran, which is their reference and source, has become a perfect teacher of Risale-i Nur.”66
In the answer Badiuzzaman gave to some people who discussed the connection of Risale-i Nur with the Quran, he said his works could not be his skill. Some of the sentences of a long letter are as follows: “ However, if the person who out of amazement deems it unlikely that such an important work should appear at the hand of an insignificant person like myself thinks of the creation of a pine-tree the size of a mountain out of a seed the size of a grain of wheat as being a sign of Divine power and grandeur, he is surely bound to say that the appearance of this work at such a time of intense need from someone as absolutely impotent and wanting as myself is evidence for the vast extent of Divine mercy…
In addition, I say this: in the face of the awesome attacks of misguidance at this time, the powerful, true ways, paths, and tariqats with millions of devoted followers have been apparently defeated. But a semi-literate person under constant surveillance living opposite the police-station, who is alone and the object of a many-sided campaign of slander in order to make everyone execrate him, cannot lay claim to the Risale-i Nur, which is more advanced than those other ways and has resisted the attacks more strongly, and that work cannot be the product of his skill, and he cannot take pride in it. It has rather been bestowed directly by Divine mercy as a miracle of the All-Wise Qur’an at this time. He laid hands on that gift of the Qur’an together with thousands of his friends. For sure the duty of chief interpreter fell to him, but evidence that it is not the work of his thought, knowledge, and intelligence is as follows:
“Risale-i Nur are parts which were written in six hours, others that were written in two hours, others in one hour, and some in ten minutes even. I swear that even with the power of memory of the Old Said with my own thought I could not write in ten hours what was written in ten minutes. With my own mind and capacity, I could not write in two days the treatise that was written in an hour. And neither myself nor the most exacting religious philosopher could research the matters of the Thirtieth Word and write it in six days, although it was written in one day in six hours. And so on...”67
The following statement of Badiuzzaman showing his view that Risale-i Nur is inspired by the Quran is like a document:
“Risale-i Nur was not taken from sciences and other books like other works; it has no source except the Quran, no teacher except the Quran and no reference except the Quran. When it was written, the author had no other books with him. It is inspired directly by the blessing of the Quran; it comes down from the sky of the Quran and stars of its verses.”68
Footnotes:
1 see Muhammad Mahmud al-Hijazi, al-Wahdatul-Mawduiyyatu fil-Quranil-Karim, 402-403.
2 see Abdussattar Fathullah Said, al-Madhal ila Tafsiril-Mawdui, 24-25.
3 cf. Abdussattar, 26-27.
4 ar-Rum, 30/17-18.
5 see Sözler, 830.
6 see Sözler, 835-36.
7 al-Isra, 17/85.
8 an-Nahl, 16/77.
9 Luqman, 31/28.
10 Sözler, 840. In the place in question the following phrase exists: “wal-mu’minuna yu’minuna billahi wa malaikatihi” but there is no verse containing that phrase in the Quran. It may have been taken from another verse but since it is described as a “verse”, it is not possible. There is only one possibility left: It was probably taken from the verse beginning with “Amanar-rasulu”; we think the word “yu’minun” was written instead of “kullun amana” by mistake (N. B.).
11 al-Isra, 17/88.
12 see Sözler, 838.
13 al-Hijr, 15/21.
14 Yasin, 36/12.
15 see Sözler, 488.
16 see Muhsin Abdulhamid, Bediüzzaman Said Nursi ve Risale-i Nur, (transl. Abdulaziz Hatip), 80-83.
17 see Nurun ilk Kapısı, (Os.), 2; Mesnevî-i Nuriye, 68, 235; Lem’alar, 104.
18 see S. Rajab, 151.
19 Cerrahoğlu, İsmail, Tefsir Usûlü, 228.
20 see al-Qattan, Mabahith fi Ulumil Qur’an, p. 357-58.
21 al-Anfal, 8/17
22 Ghazzali, İhya, p. I/300.
23 see ash-Shafii, ar-Risala, 92.
24 see ash-Shafii, 88, 176-177; as-Suyuti, al-Itqan, II/225.
25 Taha, 20/124.
26 al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, M/381.
27. cf. ash-Shafii, ibid; Suyuti, al-Itqan, H/25.
28 Şualar, 434-35.
29 ibid, 317.
30 Barla, 173.
31 Mektûbat, 330.
32 ibid, 331.
33 ibid, the same page.
34 ibid, 331-332.
35 Kastamonu Lahikası, 176.
36 ibid, 611.
37 Sikke-i Tasdik, 76.
38 Mektûbat, 348.
39 ibid, the same page.
40 ibid, 347.
41 The book Talwih in question is the explanation of Sadrushsharia’s book Tankih; the topic in question is dealt with between pages 298 and 330. The number of Muqaddama, which is four in Tankih, was increased to 12 in Talwih through subdivisions. The topic is dealt with scientifically; therefore, it addresses scholars.
42 Mektûbat, 347.
43 ibid, 31.
44 ibid,351.
45 ibid, the same page.
46 ibid, 348-349.
47 ibid, 348.
48 ibid, 334.
49 Müdâfaalar, 276-277.
50 Ibrahim, 14/25.
51 al-Hashr, 59/21.
52 az-Zumar, 39/62-63.
53 Sözler, 836.
54 Mektûbat, 344.
55 Kastamonu, 23-24.
56 al-Baqara, 2/269.
57 Mektûbat, 18.
58 ibid, 20.
59 ibid, the same page.
60 ibid, 20-21.
61 ibid.
62 Barla, 141.
63 Fihrist Risalesi, 4; Sözler, 827.
64 Müdâfaalar, 129.
65 ibid, 125.
66 Kastamonu, 137.
67 Kastamonu, 176-179.
68 Sikke-i Tasdik, 95.
We will give you a summary of the information related to the issue and leave it to you to reach a conclusion:
- The Quran teaches us the following:
“…Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancor…” (al-Maida, 5/2)
- It gains a person a sin if he does something contrary to Islam.
- According to Hanafi madhhab, some things done for non-Muslims in non-Islamic countries – that are contrary to Islam - are permissible. For, that thing is in compliance to the laws of that country and hence nobody is deceived. However, the scholars of other madhhabs do not agree with this view.
- Non-Muslims can also wear the dresses designed by you; it is permissible. As for Muslims, they can wear that dress in places where it is permissible to wear them if they wish. You will not be held responsible for it.
- You can listen to the voice of your conscience and act accordingly.
It is necessary for a person to be sane in order to be held responsible. Accordingly, children who have not reached the age of puberty and people who are not sane are not held responsible. They will not be punished in the grave or in Hell.
Those who are not sane are dealt with in two groups:
The first one: Those who are born insane or who become insane in childhood. They have no responsibility.
The second one: Those who become insane after the age of puberty. They are called to account for the sins they commit after the age of puberty and before becoming insane.
However, if a person becomes insane when he is a believer, it is hoped that his illness will be atonement for his previous sins. Being insane is a mental disease; Allah accepts diseases as an atonement for sins.
- They say there was a tree in Paradise... It was forbidden to eat its fruit... Satan tried to deceive our father Adam but could not deceive him...
- Then, he deceived our mother Hawwa (Eve) and she influenced her husband... They ate the fruit of the forbidden tree... Allah punished them and sent them to the world...
- Did something like that really happen? What was the name of that tree? Had Satan not been expelled from Hell beforehand?
…
The Quran does not tell us the name of the forbidden tree... It does not tell us why were forbidden to touch it either...
“Satan tried to deceive our father Adam but could not deceive him... Then, he deceived our mother Hawwa and she influenced her husband and so on...” There is no such information in the Quran.
Satan does not necessarily have to be near a person to be able to send something to his heart. As internet users, we can understand it more easily now...
A person produces a virus in a distant country, sends it at the speed of light and crashes your computer... He does not have to come...
We should talk after getting definite information. Adam and his wife were apparently guests in Paradise... There were some boundaries that they should not exceed... That test was a small model of the test in the world...
“What was the name of tree? Did it have fruits? Why was its fruit forbidden? Which one bit it first?” Details like that are of no use to us.
The theme of the “forbidden tree” may even be a sign showing the boundaries of the legal space given to man...
The basic fact that we need to know is this: A ban was imposed on the Prophet Adam and his wife...
Satan was jealous of man; he disobeyed the command to prostrate and became an unbeliever. They themselves witnessed it. They should not have crossed the boundaries
What matters is the that Lord made it haram, told them not to approach it and forbad something…
The same thing holds true for this world... Allah tells us do something and we do it... He tells us not to do something and we do not do. What matters is obedience. Sincere worship occurs like that.
There are definitely many wisdoms, purposes and benefits behind those prohibitions. They can encourage some people...
Even if we do not know any benefits of the commands and prohibitions, we have to obey them.
Satan tried to rebel by resorting to philosophy and reasoning, and went astray. If he had obeyed the command first and then asked for its reason, there would have been no problem...
However, he could not bear it because he was jealous of man. Jealousy led him to hatred, hatred to conceit, and conceit to rebellion...
He wants to lead us astray too!
Neighbor is the name given to those that are near to one another in terms of houses, workplaces, land, villages, cities and countries.
Our neighbors form our closest social environment after our family. The conditions necessitate contacting our closest environment in both good and bad days. Solidarity in times of hardship, visiting one another in normal times and even having the right of preemption form the source of certain rights and responsibilities related to being neighbors. The Quran mentions the relationship among neighbors as follows:
"Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him; and do good- to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (ye meet), and what your right hands possess." (an-Nisa, 4/36)
Hz. Ali holds the view that the term neighbor includes “those whose voices are heard” in the neighborhood. Hz. Aisha states that forty houses from every direction are neighbors and that they have the right of neighbors. In addition, the term neighbor includes all neighbors whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims, good or bad, near or distant. (Tajrid Sarih Translation, XII, 130)
The Prophet (pbuh) states the following:
"Gabriel (Jibril) recommended me about treating the neighbors kindly and politely so much so that I thought he would make neighbors heirs." (Bukhari, Adab, 28; Muslim, Birr wa Sila, 140: 141; Tirmidhi, Birr, 28; Ibn Majah, Adab, 4)
It is one of the most important ethical duties of a Muslim not to harm others and to do people favors. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) states the following regarding the issue:
"A Muslim is a person who avoids harming the Muslims with his tongue and hands." (Bukhari Iman, 3-4; Muslim, Iman, 64-66)
The neighbor has priority in terms of trust and security due to constant relationships. As a matter of fact, the Messenger of Allah states the following in hadith:
"He from whose evil his neighbor does not feel safe is not a real believer." (Bukhari, Adab, 29; Muslim Iman, 73; Tirmidhi, Qiyama, 60; Ahmad b. Hanbal, I, 387, II, 288, 336, 373, III, 154).
It is essential for a believer to want his neighbor to attain the boons that he has and not want for his neighbor what he does not want for himself. (Bukhari, Iman, 5) Acting upon this principle, a person must not disturb his neighbor. There is an objective criterion that can be applied to everybody here. If a person who harms his neighbor by making noise or by transgressing his neighbor’s land through his balcony or canopy does not like it when the same thing is done against him, he will find the truth by consulting his heart. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) explains this criterion by addressing Wabisa as follows:
"O Wabisa! Consult your heart even if people give you their legal opinion (fatwa). Righteousness (Birr) is whatever your heart feels ease at doing, and sin is whatever brings discomfort to the heart." (Darimi, Buyu’, 2; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, IV, 228)
When a Companion asked the Prophet (pbuh) what rights his neighbor had on him, he gave the following answer:
"If he gets ill, visit him; if he dies, help to arrange his funeral. If he asks money from you, lend him. If he is in hardship, help him. If a misfortune hits him, console him. Do not make your roof higher than his so that you will not prevent his wind. Do not make him understand what you cook at home; if you do, give some to him from what you cook." (Y. Kandahlawi, Hayatus-Sahaba, III, 1068)
Our duties toward our neighbors in the light of this hadith:
1) We should speak softly to our neighbors and smile to them; we should not forget to greet them, to ask how they are when we meet them and to share their joy and sorrow.
2) Visiting them when they are healthy and ill, when they are sad and joyful, in their weddings and festivals, offering condolences if one of them dies, supporting them, helping them in the funeral, accepting their invitations, loving their children as if they are our own children, protecting and guarding them are among our duties as neighbors.
3) The Prophet (pbuh) states the following:
"He who believes in Allah and the hereafter should do favors to his neighbor." (Bukhari, Adab, 31; Muslim Iman, 74, 76, 77; Ibn Majah, Adab, 4; Darimi, At’ima, 11).
"The best friend in the eye of Allah is the one that treats his friend in the best way and the best neighbor is the one that treats his neighbor in the best way." (Bukhari, Iman, 31; Tirmidhi, Birr, 28)
4) It is one of our duties to treat to our neighbors. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) states the following:
"He who believes in Allah and the hereafter should treat to his neighbor." (Bukhari, Adab, 31; Muslim, Iman 74, 76, 77; Ibn Majah, Adab, 4)
The Prophet (pbuh) gave the following advice:
"O Aba Dharr! When you cook soup, add some more water and do not forget your neighbors." He also said,
"He who sleeps on full stomach while his neighbor is hungry is not one of us." Muslim, Iman, 74, Birr wa Sila, 142; Ahmad b. Hanbal, 1,55)
5) It is the duty of a Muslim to help his poor and needy neighbors, to support them financially if necessary, to lend them and to find jobs for them if they can work. It is also a good deed to act as the deputy of the lonely and old neighbors. (see Abu Dawud, Zakah, 25; Malik, Muwatta, Zakah, 29; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, III, 31, 40).
6) It is also among the duties of a Muslim not to spy on what happens in the neighboring houses, not to reveal their sins and mistakes, to forgive them when they say or do something bad to us, to guide them related to worldly and otherworldly affairs. It is forbidden by the Quran to seek others’ faults and reveal their secret issues. (al-Hujurat, 49/12).
7) It is necessary not to do harm to and wrong our neighbors. The Prophet (pbuh) expresses its importance as follows:
"He from whose evil his neighbor does not feel safe is not a real believer." (Bukhari, Adab, 29; Muslim, Iman, 73; Tirmidhi, Qiyama, 60)
"He who believes in Allah and the hereafter should not oppress his neighbor." (Muslim, Iman, 73, 75)
Thus, he stated the importance of the rights of neighbors.
It is possible to oppress the neighbor materially or spiritually. Material oppression is to transgress his house, garden and property, to harm demolish, pollute and confiscate them, and to beat the neighbor himself. Spiritual oppression is to defile the honor of his neighbors and to reveal their family secrets. If a person defiles the honor of his neighbors, his sins will be multiplied. Upon a question, the Prophet (pbuh) said that the biggest sins were to associate partners with Allah, to kill one’s own child due to the fear of hunger and “to have a sexual intercourse with the wife of one’s neighbor”. Miqdad b. Aswad reports the following from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) regarding the issue:
"The sin of a person who has a sexual intercourse with the wife of his neighbor is more than the sin of a person who has a sexual intercourse with ten women." (Bukhari, Tafsiru Sura 2/3, 25/2, Adab, 20, Diyat, 1; Hudud, 30; Tawhid, 40; Muslim, Iman, 141, 142; Abu Dawud, Talaq 50; Tirmidhi, Tafsiru Sura, 25/1,2)
According to what Abdullah b. Umar narrates, the Prophet (pbuh) set off for an expedition. On the way, he said,
"He who oppressed his neighbor should not join us today." Somebody said,
"I urinated against the wall of my neighbor." The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,
"Do not join us today." (Y. Kandahlawi, Hadislerle Müslümanlık, III/1068)
As it is understood from all of the verses and hadiths above, it is the duty of every Muslim to establish good relationships with the neighbors. There are always some people who do not fulfil this duty and who disturb their neighbors. The Prophet (pbuh) advised us to show patience in the face of the bad deeds of our neighbors.
8) A bad neighbor harms the people around; similarly, a good neighbor will help his neighbors in the world and the hereafter. The following is stated in a hadith:
"Doubtlessly, Allah keeps misfortunes away from a hundred houses due to a righteous neighbor." (al-Asqalani, Selâmet Yolları, III, 298)
According to the Islamic law, being a next-door neighbor gives a person some financial rights. Rights of preemption and easement are among them. The Prophet (pbuh) states the following:
"A next-door neighbor has more rights to buy his neighbor’s house than others." (Tirmidhi, Ahkam, 31, 33; Abu Dawud, Buyu’, 73; Ahmad b. Hanbal, IV, 388-390, V, 8,12, 13,18)
"A neighbor has more preemptive rights than others." (Abu Dawud, Buyu’, 73; Tirmidhi, Ahkam, 32; Ibn Majah, Shuf’a, I, p. 2)
Preemption means to have the right to buy some property that has been sold by giving the person who has bought it the same amount of money based on the right of priority. The right of easement includes the rights related to the property of the neighbor like passing, getting water or making water flow.
Risale-i Nur is a sea of ilm (knowledge); everybody benefits from that sea based on their capacity and talent. Everybody has a different capacity of knowledge. A person may have a capacity of a glass, another one a jug, another one a barrel, another one a tank and yet another one a small lake. Therefore, people benefit from Risale-i Nur differently. Everybody gets something based on their capacity and power.
Indeed, each part of Risale-i Nur has a distinguished feature. However, all of them have a common point: investigative belief and real knowledge.
Realities of belief and knowledge (of Allah) are predominant in the books that form the basis of Risale-i Nur: Sözler (The Words), Lem’alar (The Flashes), Şualar (The Rays), Mektubat (Letters).
Sözler (The Words) : It includes general and basic issues of belief like the proof of the existence of Allah, resurrection, qadar (predestination) and the miraculousness of the Quran.
Mektubat (Letters) : It generally includes more detailed and minor issues than Sözler like where Hell is, the difference between love and compassion, and tariqahs.
Lem’alar (The Flashes) : It is a human-centered book. It includes great realities in belief-man relationship. It gives lessons of belief in the subjective realm: The Booklet of Ill People, Booklet of Old People, Booklet of Tasattur, the explanations of some dhikrs.
Şualar (The Rays) : It includes general revision of the lessons and draws the widest boundaries of great and comprehensive lessons of belief. In Ayetü’l-Kübra (the Supreme Sign) and Münacaat (Supplication), it starts with the sky and proves the issues of belief from, air, mountains, seas and kingdom of plants. It gives information about the Creator. It deals with general issues of belief in Meyve Risalesi (Booklet of Fruit) and al-Hujjatuz-Zahra Booklet. Müdafaalar (Defenses) is the part where the case of Risale-i Nur is defended.
Lahikalar: They mention the principles of Risale-i Nur service and the relationship among brothers. Barla Lahikası, Kastamonu Lahikası and Emirdağ Lahikası start from the small circle (man, his brother) and moves to the large circle (the whole world and methods of service).
Mesnevi-i Nuriye: It is a seed and summary of Risale-i Nur Collection. The issues that are explained in a booklet in other books are explained in one paragraph in this book.
İşarat-ül İ’caz (Signs of Miraculousness) : is a model of tafsir; rhetoric and grammar are predominant. It is a verse by verse and word by word tafsir of the Quran including the chapter of al-Fatiha and the chapter of al-Baqara up to verse 31.
Muhakemat is methodology of tafsir and kalam.
Tarihçe-i Hayat gives information about the service and cause of Badiuzzaman Said Nursi. Seventy percent of it includes the parts in Risale-i Nur; ten percent includes his articles and defenses that are not included in Risale-i Nur; only twenty percent of it mentions the life of Badiuzzaman.
Sikke-i Tasdik-i Gaybi mentions the blessings, grants and signs showing the acceptance of Risale-i Nur service.
Small and old books like Münazarat, İşarat, Sünuhat, Hutbe-i Şamiye, Nurun İlk Kapısı and Divan-ı Harb-i Örfi mention political and social issues.
Risale-i Nur is like the doctor and medicine of this age; it can be said that it is a collection of books that produced definite solutions and cures for all illnesses and problems of this age.
Waste (extravagance) is something relative. Something that is regarded as extravagance for a position can be normal for another position and little for yet another position. It means it is necessary to buy things based on the position one has and place he lives in; one should buy what is necessary.
It is not permissible to buy something unnecessary just because others will see it or others have it.
Hz. Aisha narrates the following from the Messenger of Allah:
"If a woman gives in charity from her house meals without wasting (i.e. being extravagant), she will get the reward for her giving, and her husband will also get the reward for his earning and her maid will also get a similar reward. The acquisition of the reward of none of them will reduce the reward of the others." (Bukhari, Buyu', 12)
It means charity is essential based on customs and place. We can compare it to all kinds of expenditure.
WASTER, WASTE
A person who spends unnecessarily; extravagant.
Waste means extravagance, going, making mistakes and being heedless. It also means man’s transgression in what he does. According to Sufyan ath-Thawri, anything that is not spent in the way of Allah is waste. Waste is also defined as "to grab things that Allah rendered haram". (İsmail Hakkı Bursevî, Ruhu`l-Beyan, II. 262)
To spend more than what is necessary, to tend to things that shari’ah rendered haram, to fulfill the desires of one’s soul and lust and to spend heedlessly and disrespectfully are regarded as waste.
It is also regarded waste to cut down on one’s spending on the needs of his body so much as to prevent oneself from fulfilling worshipping.
The concepts, waster, waste and extravagance are used in various chapters and verses of the Quran in various senses: (Aal-i Imran, 3/147, an-Nisa: 4/6, al-An`am: 6/141, al-Araf, 7/31, Taha, 20/127, Yunus: 10/12, al-Mu`min: 40/128, az-Zumar: 39/53).
Allah states the following in the Quran:
"It is He Who produceth gardens, with trellises and without, and dates, and tilth with produce of all kinds, and olives and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in variety): eat of their fruit in their season, but render the dues that are proper on the day that the harvest is gathered. But waste not by excess: for Allah loveth not the wasters." (al-An`am: 6/141)
Man has to meet his intellectual, spiritual and physical needs through legitimate means. Otherwise, he will suffer doubts and hesitations in terms of thought, depression in terms of spirit and weakness in terms of body. In that case, he cannot fulfill his religious and physical responsibilities. As it is seen in the verse, man is ordered to eat what Allah has created through legitimate ways and sufficiently. However, this must not be excessive. For, the harms of consumption that reaches the point of extravagance exceed the individual and affect the family and the society. This is haram.
Islam has rendered intention (niyyah) necessary in all deeds of worship. Intention means for a Muslim to be aware of what, why, when and how he is doing. Therefore, a Muslims avoids all unconscious, useless and unscrupulous movements: Waste is unnecessary and unscrupulous; therefore, it is forbidden for Muslims: "O Children of Adam! Wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters..."(al-A`raf 7/31).
Allah does not like useless and purposeless expenditures. It could be a loaf bread, or crumbs of bread. It could be a drop of water, or a river that flows. It could be one’s whole life, or a minute that is wasted.
For this reason, waste being haram is regarded as one of the basic principles of the Islamic economic system.
A Muslims cannot be a waster; he cannot waste what he has and cannot use what he has in unnecessary and useless places.
The wounds and destruction caused by waste in the individual, familial and social life are among of the main problems today as they were throughout history.
Unless the unconscious consumption society is replaced by a balanced and spiritually disciplined society, realistic savings cannot be made and necessary investments cannot be made; an independent economic system cannot be established by getting rid of external dependency. This can only be achieved by a society where Islam is dominant.
It will be seen that a large budget is eliminated in a society where nearly a million tons of bread are wasted per year, foods are thrown away, water is wasted, energy is used unnecessarily, clothes and makeup are consumed unnecessarily.
Answer 1
Slavery and concubinage were not introduced by Islam; it was a status that Islam first reformed and aimed to completely abolish in time; as the nations of the world came to the same point, it became a thing of the past.
However, we should not forget that there are hungry, destitute, unemployed, homeless and weak people in many parts of the world today, and some of them are treated like former slaves and concubines. Poverty and freedom do not go together; necessities enslave people. Thus, humanity did only a small part of what should have been done by abolishing slavery.
The goal of Islam is freedom and justice worthy of humanity all over the world. Unless those two goals are achieved in a new world order, humanity will bear a great responsibility and a sin; it should feel ashamed because of it (the blood that is shed, the pain that is suffered, etc.). Those who believe in the religion should not forget that Allah will call them to account because of it.
Answer 2
Marriage contract consists of an agreement between a man and a woman, both of whom are free (hence owning their own bodies), on the issue of mutually establishing a family and benefiting from each other in accordance with its terms and conditions. The contract and deed that enables one to have a concubine (acquiring through purchase, inheritance, loot or donation…) is also a legal transaction, and this legal transaction also gives the right to live as a husband and wife between the owner and the concubine; it is stronger and more comprehensive than the marriage contract and can replace it.
Two kinds of marriages are mentioned in the following verses: one with free women and the other with concubines.
“(Believers) Who abstain from sex, except with those joined to them in the marriage bond, or (the captives) whom their right hands possess...” (al-Muminun, 23/5-6).
“…But if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess...” (an-Nisa, 4/3).
Marriage related to concubines is expressed in the verse as “that your right hands possess”. It is also called “milk al-yamin” or “aqd al-yamin”.
Another important concept related to this issue in Islamic fiqh is the concept of “tasarri”. It means deciding to take a female slave obtained as a concubine as a wife and to have intercourse with her. According to Islamic law, tasarri does not occur only by having intercourse with a concubine. Except for the marriage contract, all the necessary conditions for marriage with normal women must be prepared.
According to the Hanafi madhhab, there are two conditions for tasarri to occur: First: To allocate a private residence for the concubine with whom one wishes to have intercourse with, just like his wives who are normal free women. Second: Allocating the same amount of time to the concubine as he allocates to his other wives. According to Abu Yusuf, the desire to have a child from her is also essential. (see al-Badai’, 8/344-45-Shamila) Those two conditions are necessary according to Shafi’i madhhab too. (see Mughnil-Muhtaj, 20/316; Nihayatul-Muhtaj, 29/343-Shamila)
Why there is no need for a marriage contract with a bondmaid? Because, the agreement of “milq” is more efficient than a marriage contract. A marriage contract is an advantage contract. But in the agreement of Milq, there is an ownership to a concerned person, so the contract of Milq requires owning that concerned person. And the advantage contract occurs depending on that agreement (see the article called as “Mahmud Hamdi Zakzuk, at-Tasarri”).
-The arbiters on that subject are Islam scholars and fiqh sources. The judgments that the Ummah (the community of Our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) whom follow Islam) complied with has been in accordance with those sources.
- According to the Islam scholars, in order that a man can be together with a woman is possible only in two ways: The contract of marriage or the contract of Milqul Yemin (keeping the personality of a bondmaid in his hands with a contract) (see Reddu’l Muhtar, 3/163).
It is said that “God is goodness.” Why does evil exist then? Why would God, who is eternally good, create evil? Or is there someone else, like the devil?
The statement “God is goodness” is a term peculiar to Christian theology in general.
The Quran states the following about Allah: "To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names.” We know Him through His names.
Yes, all His names are endlessly beautiful but because of His wisdom, He also creates evil.
The first reason for this is that there must be evil and badness in this universe for the manifestation of some of His names.
For example, if there was no disease, there would be no healing, and the name Ash-Shafi (the Healer) would not be manifested.
If sins were not committed, there would be neither repentance nor forgiveness. For this reason, the manifestation of the names such as at-Tawwab (the Acceptor to Repentance), al-Afuww (the Pardoner), al-Ghafur (the Forgiver) would not be possible.
If Allah had created only good and beautiful, evil and badness would not exist at all, and there would be no point in testing people.
It would not be possible to deny, to commit harams and sins. Everyone would inevitably be like an angel.
However, this is not the purpose of human's creation. Humans should be able to choose what they want through their own free will. They should be able to believe or not if they wish. They should be able to do good or evil with their free will.
Allah wants people to turn toward good deeds by their own choice. However, He creates whatever His servant wishes.
For example, you can go to the mosque with your feet or to the bar. The first is good and the second is evil. Allah creates whatever the servant chooses.
If the feet turning toward the bar were turned into stones, if the eyes looking at haram things became blind, if the people who did not pray had a stroke, people would involuntarily believe and worship. It would be impossible to understand who was diamond and who was coal.
This reality is also the answer to the question " Why does God not prevent evil?".
A teacher does not prevent the student from giving the correct answer during the exam, nor does he prevent the student from giving the wrong answer. This is how the test happens.
Some people say, "God does not create bad results" to exonerate Allah, so to speak.
Let us ask right away: "If God does not create them, then who does?"
There is shirk (ascribing a partner to Allah) in every answer to this question. However, Allah is the only god, there is no god but Him.
Since the Mutazila could not attribute the creation of evil to Allah, they say, "The servant creates his own action." They are wrong.
They ascribe flaw to the creative power. They give a share of divinity to an incapable creature, the human being.
However, the fact that our Lord creates evil alongside good is from the glory of Allah's all-encompassing infinite knowledge, will and power.
Imagine a painter that can paint beautiful objects, but he cannot paint unpleasant ones. Undoubtedly, that would be a great flaw for him.
A good painter paints a beauty like a rose and a piece of trash with the same skill. This is a sign of his dexterity.
Always remember this: Creating evil is not evil; committing evil is evil. That is, the evil is not to create evil but to commit them.
Allah does not wish or want evil, but if a servant wishes to do it, He will not prevent His servant. In short, man wishes and Allah creates.
It is a proper noun derived from “Tughyan” (transgression, ruthlessness); its origin is “taghawut” like “jabarut = tyranny” but was changed to “tawaghut” with the transformation of “waw” into “alif”; it is used for singular, plural, male and female. Tughyan means cut, rebellious, transgressor, monstrous, rampant.
As Ibn Jarir at-Tabari describes, it means anything, whether human, devil, idol, erected stone, or anything else, that is rebellious against Allah and is worshipped and regarded as a god by force, coercion, or voluntarily. There are various narrations related to its interpretation, such as Satan or magician, or soothsayer, or people and jinn who are stubborn and arrogant, or people like Pharaoh and Nimrod, who are recognized as gods against Allah and consent to it, or idols.
Abu Hayyan states the following: “It is necessary to explain them with examples because the word taghut is referred to each of them.” The description above includes all of them. However, Qadi Baydawi adds the phrase “those who prevent people from the way of Allah”, which includes a more general description, because those who do so may not have been recognized as gods. However, it will be included in the previous description if it is considered in accordance with the verse “Then seest thou such a one as takes as his god his own vain desire?” (al-Jasiya, 45/23) that they will declare themselves as gods based on their own desire. We will learn a few things from the explanation above:
Firstly, various interpretations (explanations) of taghut can show examples or varieties; besides, each of the words “Satan, magician, soothsayer, wrong god, people and jinn who are stubborn and arrogant” is expressed in a manner similar to and appropriate to the description; therefore, they are not synonymous in terms of meaning but it can also be indicated that they are used very closely or as things that require one other. Secondly, it means taghut can be both open and hidden, visible and invisible. Thirdly, it is understood from the concept of tughyan (rebellion, transgression) that idols are secondary taghuts. Apparently, idols and erected stones, which are mindless beings, should not be regarded as taghuts because they themselves cannot rebel Allah and cannot consent to transgression. Besides they cannot refuse it. Therefore, they can only be a reason for transgression and transgressors will find that reason. Idols are actually the images of male or female tyrants and the monsters of transgressors. Hidden or open transgressors claim their own transgression with them. In this respect, idols are not actual taghuts; they are the representatives of taghuts. Thus, the expression “whoever rejects evil (taghut)...” states that the first thing in the command of tawhid is to deny the fierce rebels who lead people to idols. Fourthly, great people like the Prophet Isa (Jesus) and Uzayr (Ezra) are excluded from the definition of taghut and those called taghut.
While it is fard to negate and deny their divinity by saying “there is no other god” in the command of tawhid, it will not be permissible to deny them; on the contrary, belief in prophets, which is among the requirements of belief in Allah, and respect to them will be included among the pillars of belief. Related to that very important point, the expression “whoever rejects evil (taghut)...” is used; denying the others is not laid as a condition. So, the condition of tawhid is not to deny the beings other than Allah, but to remove the attribute of divinity from the beings other than Allah and meanwhile to deny taghuts, that is, to not recognize them at all, and to recognize the rights of others under divinity because the truth (right) belongs to Allah. Finally, it definitely states that in order to be a believer in the oneness of Allah, it is necessary to repent of unbelief before believing in Allah. And the condition of this repentance is to make a firm decision not to recognize taghuts. In that case, the expression “whoever rejects evil (taghut) and believes in Allah...” means an interpretation of kalima at-tawhid: “There is no god but Allah.” Thus, a person who believes fully will definitely grasps the most trustworthy hand-hold; it is understood from the meaning of the expression that those who hold on to it will be drawn to the Chair (Kursiyy) of Allah, the highest levels of Paradise, and those who let it go on their way will fall horribly.
Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır, Tafsir
It is definitely haram to wear an evil eye bead. It is a nonsensical custom dating back to the Era of Jahiliyyah. The Prophet (pbuh) stated the following:
"May Allah not complete the work of a person who wears an evil eye bead!" (Hakim and Ahmad narrated it)
Even if it is an ornament, it is necessary not to keep it at home so as not to spread such a superstitious custom.
(Halil GÜNENÇ, Günümüz Meselelerine Fetvalar II / 259)
- The questions do not cease… All right; they can come; no problem... I am glad... Here are some of the latest ones...
- Can Allah destroy Himself?
- Can He create a stone that He cannot lift?
- Can He create a square in the form of a circle?
- Where was He before He created the universe?
- Can God think? et cetera…
…
They are sophistry... Misleading logic game... however, it is illogical itself...
Such questions are produced by people who do not want to believe... Their purpose is to confuse people and arouse suspicion...
If the addressee cannot answer, they will think that they are right and they will relax...
However, that someone cannot answer these questions does not justify the questioner.
First of all, you should know this: An illogical, baseless, inconsistent question does not deserve an answer...
For example, a question that starts with “One, which is bigger than two” ‘is absurd, illogical.
You can say to the one who has asked it, “Do not be ridiculous! There is no ‘one’ bigger than two” and walk away.
There is a logic game, a deception in these kinds of questions asked about Allah. Let us have a look at them…
“Can He create a stone that He cannot lift?”
There cannot be a “stone that the unlimited divine power cannot lift”; therefore, the question “Can He create…?” cannot be asked...
“Can He create a square in the form of a circle?”
A square is a square! The question is self-contradictory, self-refuting.
It is not possible to talk about whether the impossible can be created.
“Where was He before He created the universe?”
You cannot ask “Where?” because being in a place is a property of matter... Allah, who is free from space, is neither matter nor object... This question is also against the rules of logic...
“Can He think?”
Man thinks in order to know, and tries to find the unknown based on the known. He needs thinking...
However, Allah is omniscient and does not need to think.
“Can He destroy Himself?”
This question can only be asked about possible and probable beings. It can never be asked about a being that cannot be destroyed...
Allah is an “obligatory” being; it is impossible for Him not to exist; it is not possible...
The method of such questions is the same: The Creator, who is never like His creatures, is attributed a feature that has nothing to do with His definition, and then the question is based on this absurd assumption...
A game of logic is played... If one does not pay attention, he can be deceived by the tricksters...
The answer to an illogical question is sometimes a meaningful silence, sometimes a condescending smile, sometimes a pitying look...
It would be frivolous to take them seriously... A person who seeks the truth does not waste time with such silly questions...
When it is sahar (dawn) time, a redness called fajr al-kadhib (false dawn) occurs in the sky. After that, a whiteness called fajr as-sadiq (true dawn) occurs. The time for the morning prayer starts at this fajr as-sadiq. The time called sahar is just before fajr as-sadiq. That is, the time just before imsak.
Some scholars say it is one-sixth of the night. That is, the time between the evening prayer and imsak time is divided into six and the time of sahar is found. For instance, if the evening prayer is at 17.30 and imsak is at 5.30, the night is 12 hours. One sixth of it is 2 hours. When 2 hours is deduced from 5.30, the result is 3.30. It means sahar time is between 3.30 and 5.30. This period decreases and increases based on seasons.
Those who wake up at the time of sahar take refuge in Allah with prayer and supplication, shed tears by repenting and asking for forgiveness are appreciated in the Quran.
For, sincerity is experienced more at that time and show off intervenes in worshipping less. Fear of Allah in us is at the peak. We expect more from Allah.
Allah Almighty states the following in a verse:
"Those who show patience, Firmness and self-control; who are true (in word and deed); who worship devoutly; who spend (in the way of Allah); and who pray for forgiveness in the early hours of the morning." (Aal-i Imran, 3/17)
He states the following in the following verses:
"As to the Righteous, they will be in the midst of Gardens and Springs, Taking joy in the things which their Lord gives them, because, before then, they lived a good life. They were in the habit of sleeping but little by night, And in the hour of early dawn, they (were found) praying for Forgiveness." (adh-Dhariyat, 51/15-18)
The Prophet states the following about time of sahar, which interests us closely:
"Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, descends to the earth's heaven every night when the first third of the night has passed. He says: "I am the Sovereign. Is there any who calls upon Me so that I may respond to him? Is there any who asks of Me that I may give him? Is there any who seeks forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him?' He continues in that until the illumination of al-Fajr." (Tirmidhi, Salah, 326)
Is it possible not to act in accordance with that call?
On the other hand, the following hadiths and similar ones indicate the blessing of sahur time.
"Eat sahur. Doubtlessly, there is abundance in sahur." (Nasai, Siyam, 18, 19; Ibn Majah, Siyam, 22),
"He who wants to perform fasting should eat something at sahur." (Ahmad b. Hanbal, III / 367)
It is Sunnah to wake up at this time, which is just before the end of time period for night (isha) prayer, to perform tahajjud prayer and to perform witr as the last prayer of the night. The Prophet (pbuh) got up after the two-thirds of the night passed, performed tahajjud prayer and witr prayer after that.
As Badiuzzaman said Nursi observes, tahajjud prayer is like a necessary light and it will not leave believers in darkness in the grave and in the darkness of barzakh. (Nursi, Sözler, Dokuzuncu Söz)
We should be careful about this: We must not risk the morning (fajr) prayer because of getting up to perform prayers at sahar time. If it can risk the morning prayer, one can perform witr prayer after the night prayer before going to bed until he gets used to getting up at sahar time; that is also in accordance with the Sunnah.
We must not risk the morning prayer by any means. Those who cannot get up for tahajjud due to working hard are hoped to receive the blessing of sahar time when they perform the morning prayer.
One of the followers of Junayd Baghdadi saw him in his dream and asked him:
"You had so many good deeds and virtues. My Lord must have granted you so many thawabs."
The great saint gave the following answer:
"The two-rak’ah prayer I performed at the time of sahar is better than all of the others."
The Prophet (pbuh) states the following:
"Two rak'ahs at the time of fajr is better than the world and everything in it."
For the world and everything in it will remain in the world; a prayer of two rak'ahs will go to eternal life and be an intercessor there.
Yes, time of sahar is such a blessed and valuable time. It is a period of time that multiplies the deeds of worshipping performed in it and elevate them.
"…In it (the mosque) are men who love to be purified; and Allah loveth those who make themselves pure." (at-Tawba, 9/108)
The interpretation of the verse: Never perform prayers in that mosque, that is, in Masjid ad-Dirar. A mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety (Masjid Quba) is more worthy of the standing forth for prayer therein: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) himself laid its foundations by leading prayers there on the first days of the Migration: He led five daily prayers to the congregation on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, when he stayed there.
However, it is also stated that "the mosque whose foundation was laid on piety" is Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah. The following is stated from Abu Said al-Khudri: I asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) about the mosque whose foundation was laid on piety. He picked a few pebbles and threw them on the ground and said, "This mosque; Madinah Mosque." It is the place that deserves your performing prayers the most. There are men who love to be purified in it. They like to be purified from bad traits, material and spiritual impurities; they love to be pure and clean for Allah and try to be so. Allah loves those who are pure and clean.
After the verse above was sent down, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) walked with a group of Muhajirs toward Masjid Kuba. When he arrived at the mosque, he stopped a bit and waited. Some people from Ansar were sitting in the mosque. He asked them,
"Are you believers?" The congregation kept silent. He asked again. Hz. Umar said,
"O Messenger of Allah! They are definitely believers. I am together with them." The Prophet (pbuh) said,
"Do you show consent to what is predestined for you?" They said,
"Yes, we do." He asked,
"Do you show patience when you are hit by a misfortune? They said,
"Yes, we do." He asked,
"Do you thank Allah when you have plenty to eat and drink? They said,
"Yes, we do." Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,
"By the Lord of the Kaaba, they are believers." He sat down. Then, he said,
"O people of Ansar! Allah praised you. What do you do when you make wudu?" They said,
"We use three stones to clean the feces. Then, we clean with water." The Messenger of Allah recited the following verse:
"...In it are men who love to be purified..."
It is also stated that they washed the residues of urine with water; they never walked around when they were junub and they did not sleep when they were junub.
To sum up, tatahhur means to exaggerate in cleaning and to act meticulously about cleanliness. As a religious term, taharah means being purified and cleaned from material impurities as well as the state of janabah (by making ghusl) and spiritual impurities.
What is really meant by tatahhur here is the cleanliness of the heart, not the material one, since it is mentioned as opposite of bad traits like "dirar (harm), kufr (unbelief), tafriqa (mischief) and irsad (preparation)".
That is, it is clear that it means to be purified from bad traits like sin, disobedience, stinginess and laziness, and their spiritual stains.
Besides, the questions the Prophet (pbuh) asked about "belief, patience and thanking" shed light on the issue. In that case, those different narrations do not aim to specify the interpretation; it should be considered that it is not peculiar to spirituality only and that it includes material cleanliness too, indicating that the scope of the verse should be regarded wide. (KUR'AN'I KERİM TEFSİRİ, ELMALILI MUHAMMED HAMDİ YAZIR)
Islam gives great importance to cleanliness and makes it a prerequisite, introduction and key to some deeds of worshipping. The Prophet (pbuh) states the following in a hadith:
"The key to prayer is cleanliness; its beginning is takbir and its completion is salam (salutation)."
Cleanliness is a prerequisite for some deeds of worshipping and it is an indispensable element of health. In addition, it causes one’s sustenance to increase. The following is stated in a hadith:
"Keep cleaning so that your sustenance will be increased..."
It will be wrong to consider cleanliness as bodily cleanliness only. Cleanliness of the heart, having good intentions and high ethics are necessary as much as and even more than the cleanliness of the body.
As a matter of fact, if the intention of a person is not pure, his worshipping will not be sincere and hence will not be accepted by Allah. Therefore, the cleanliness of the heart and the body need to exist together in a Muslim; it should be known that a man can be a perfect Muslim if he keeps both his heart and body clean.
The cleanliness of the heart is the foundation and an important principle of Islam. As a matter of fact, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) pointed out those two issues with the following hadith: "Islam was built on the foundation of cleanliness." The reminder "Allah is clean; He likes clean things" is another hadith that reminds us of Islam’s principle of cleanliness. Some of the hadiths and verses showing how much importance Islam gives to cleanliness are as follows:
"Islam is clean; you need to get clean too because only the clean ones will enter Paradise."
"Cleanliness is half of belief."
"Cleanliness is of (the perfection and light of) belief."
"…For Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean." (al-Baqara, 2/222)"
"…(With the order of wudu and tayammum) Allah doth not wish to place you in a difficulty, but to make you clean, and to complete his favor to you, that ye may be grateful." (al-Maida, 5/6)
"…And he (Allah) caused rain to descend on you from heaven, to clean you therewith..." (al-Anfal, 8/11) (Mehmet Dikmen)
The name al-Quddus (the Pure One) teaches us that Allah is free from all deficiencies and is blessed, inviting us to become clean slaves; it also reminds us that it is necessary to enter into the presence of Allah with a sound heart and clean body.
“We must not forget that bad qualities, false beliefs, sins and innovations are all instances of moral and spiritual dirt.” (Lem’alar)
A believer benefits from this blessed name to the extent that he tries to have a clean creed purified from doubts, hesitations, wrong beliefs and superstitions, and to perform worshipping that is free from show-off, hypocrisy and material interests and a spirit that is away from low ethics. When he commits a sin, he tries to delete that stain from his spirit by repenting at once.
One way of attaining the manifestation of the name al-Quddus is to give importance to material cleanliness.
Accordingly, as a person pays attention to material cleanliness, he will act in accordance with the purity and cleanliness in the universe and will approach to angels to the extent that he pays attention to spiritual cleanliness.
I want to end this issue with a wonderful determination from Risale-i Nur Collection:
“Among its other functions, that terrible factory of Hell cleanses the universe of existence of the filth of the world of non-existence.” (Şualar)
Accordingly, a great manifestation of the name Quddus will be manifest in Hell. The believers whose sins overweigh in Mizan (Scales) will go to Hell to be purified from those sins; they will come to Paradise as clean after being punished.
As for those who die as unbelievers, the name Quddus will be manifest in another way on them; it will clean them from the impurities of unbelief. They will all believe in Hell and angels, and ask help from Allah in order to be saved from that terrible punishment. However, this late approval will not be enough to save them from Hell. (Alaaddin Başar)
This state of yours shows that you are full of belief and faith. If you were faithless, you would not be worried like that. What comes to your mind is Satan’s delusions. There are two things to be careful about in this issue:
Firstly, do not press yourself due to the thoughts that come to your mind; do not linger on them.
Secondly, the thoughts that come to your mind belong to Satan, not to you. Do not feel worried thinking that they are your thoughts. If they were your thoughts, you would not feel depressed like that. So, those thoughts belong to Satan, not to you.
Do not be engaged with those thoughts that come to your mind. Do not press yourself; act in a relaxed manner; do not put yourself into trouble due to the thoughts that come to your mind. What Satan wants is to put you into trouble and to keep you away from worshipping. When you act in a relaxed way and ignore the thoughts that come to your mind, delusions will disappear spontaneously.
You should know that delusions will not harm you. They cannot harm your belief or worshipping. When you understand that those thoughts belong to Satan, not to you, delusions will disappear.
This is not something peculiar to you. Satan can cause delusions like that in everybody. When you give up being engaged with the delusions that come to your mind, delusions will disappear.
You fear that you will die without belief. On the contrary, this is the time when your belief gets stronger. Allah allows delusions to strengthen man’s belief. Delusions are a means of alertness.
- I read a book... The author likens God to a puppeteer... Human beings are His puppets...
- Is it really so?
…
Definitely not! Allah is Subhan... He does not need anything... All of His fames, attributes and names are infinite and limitless... He is the only being that is self-sufficient...
It is definite that He did not create beings as toys and human beings as puppets... Those who say so talk nonsense...
The following verse rejects that slander:
“Not for (idle) sport did We create the heavens and the earth and all that is between…If it had been Our wish to take (just) a pastime, We should surely have taken it from the things nearest to Us, if We would do (such a thing).” (al-Anbiya, 21/16, 17)
Boredom caused by loneliness is a fault and peculiar to human beings; so is recreation... If we define our Lord, who does not need anything, with our incomplete attributes, we will talk nonsense...
Think how a child imagines a king. A man with a lot of toys… He likens the king to himself and defines the king with his own criteria...
Man is just like a child... He needs games to pass time; he thinks the unique Creator, who created the realms, is like himself!
However, there are great wisdoms in His creation...
Allah wanted to see and show His infinite beauties and endless qualities...
Every owner of beauty and perfection wants to see and show his own beauty and perfection... Undoubtedly, Allah is infinitely beautiful and perfect...
Therefore, he manifested, reflected, and mirrored His divine names both on the universe and man, who is the essence of the universe.
He created man and made him taste great blessings like existence, life and humanity...
He attached great importance to man... He equipped him with the knowledge of names and made the angels prostrate before him...
Then, He described and introduced himself... He explained the reason for creating the universe and man...
He sent prophets and books; He warned their servants and told them the reason for their existence... He showed them the ways to gain eternal life...
It is nice to exist... Life is a great blessing... It is great to be human...
Knowing Rahman, believing in Him, relying on Him, trusting Him, loving Him, and being with Him everywhere is like a spiritual Paradise.
Belief is a seed of Paradise; it gives flavor... Unbelief is the seed of Hell; it makes you taste the torment of fire while you are still in the world...
Man carries both his paradise and his hell in his heart. Both are the fruit of our choices and deeds.
“Allah has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of a surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their religion - the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change (their state), after the fear in which they (lived), to one of security and peace: 'They will worship Me (alone) and not associate aught with Me. 'If any do reject Faith after this, they are rebellious and wicked.” (an-Nur, 24/55)
As it is seen in the verse above, the concept of caliphate is a Quranic term.
- Our Prophet (pbuh) stated the following in a hadith: “After me, the caliphate - or the caliphate of prophethood - will last thirty years.” (see Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 8; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 48; Ahmad b. Hanbal, 4/272; 5/220, 221). The concept of caliphate / caliph is used in many hadiths like the one above.
Therefore, Muslim adopted this concept after the Prophet (pbuh).
- In addition to the concept of caliphate, the concept of “ulul-amr” is used in the Quran (an-Nisa, 4/59) and “amir” is used in the hadiths; this concept was also used by Muslims. It is known that the title “Amirul-muminin” was also used for the rightly-guided caliphs.
- However, the concept of the caliphate as an institutional mechanism is a phenomenon that undertakes both worldly and religious services. In the last years of the Ottoman state in particular, since there were developments that made these two institutions different in a way, the caliphate began to be an institution that dealt with religious services. After the abolition of the individual caliphate, this task was transferred to the Assembly. Afterwards, the secular structure began to come to the fore.
- In the light of this information, we can say that it seems very difficult to have an individual caliphate in a certain country in our age since the “caliphate” represents the whole ummah because in that case, it will be just a meaningless, unauthorized, powerless name and image. Since committees are already at the forefront in this century, it is important for Muslims to institutionalize. Perhaps, a caliph - respected by the entire ummah - may reside in “holy places” symbolically.
- In Islam, it is more important to reflect the essence of something rather than the name and the image.
It is permissible for a person who cannot have a child through normal ways to have microinjection. The only difference between test tube baby and microinjection is the way of insemination. In test tube baby method, sperm and eggs are put together and insemination takes place spontaneously; in microinjection method, a sperm is injected into each egg through a catheter.
